The U.S. Sentencing Commission just released its annual statistics for FY 2009. They are available online here.
In FY 2009:
- There were 24,918 drug offenders (down from 2008)
- 64.4 percent of those received mandatory minimum sentences (down from 2008)
- 22.9 percent of people facing a mandatory minimum also received the benefit of the safety valve (down from 2008)
- 12.5 percent of all federal offenders received a 5K1.1 for substantial assistance (down from 2008)
- 25.2 percent of all drug offenders received a 5K1.1 (no change from 2008) – this includes offenders receiving mandatory minimums as well as those receiving guideline sentences.
- 5,853 drug offenders received a 5K1.1 for a drug trafficking offense (down from 2008), and the median decrease in months from the guideline minimum was 42 months (higher than last year). This is for drug offenders receiving mandatory minimums as well as those receiving guideline sentences. The USSC does not break out those offenders receiving both 5K1.1s and mandatory minimums.
- Interestingly, average crack sentences got a bit longer, while powder sentences got shorter: 114.8 months for crack, and 86.7 months for powder.