# 2024-31279: Feds Tweaking Prison Time Rules, Want Your Opinion 2024-31279, Sentencing Guidelines for United States Courts, is a Federal Register notice from an unnamed agency published 2025-01-02, effective Written public comment must be received by February 3, 2025; written reply comments must be received by February 18, 2025. (as of 2026-06-08). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31279 - As of: 2026-06-08 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2024-31279 - Title: Sentencing Guidelines for United States Courts - Type: Notice - Agencies: unknown - Citation: unknown - Published: 2025-01-02 - Effective: Written public comment must be received by February 3, 2025; written reply comments must be received by February 18, 2025. - Comments close: not stated - Significant: no - Touches household money: no - Regulation identifier numbers: none - Last updated: 2026-06-08 ## In one line Feds Tweaking Prison Time Rules, Want Your Opinion ## Summary The United States Sentencing Commission is updating the rules judges use to decide punishments in federal courts. These changes could affect people facing sentencing and might apply to past cases too. You’ve got until February 3, 2025, to share your thoughts, and the Commission might hold a public hearing to hear from everyone. ## Abstract The United States Sentencing Commission is considering promulgating amendments to the sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary. This notice sets forth the proposed amendments and, for each proposed amendment, a synopsis of the issues addressed by that proposed amendment. This notice also sets forth several issues for comment, some of which are set forth together with the proposed amendments, and one of which (regarding retroactive application of proposed amendments) is set forth in the Supplementary Information section of this notice. ## Effects PRIA read - Career-Offender Redefinition by Conduct: mixed, high. If you are facing federal sentencing, the Commission proposes to stop using the Supreme Court’s ‘‘categorical’’ approach and instead define "crime of violence" based on the defendant’s actual conduct and to limit "controlled substance offense" to specific federal drug statutes. The proposal is part… - Minimum-Sentence Threshold Options for Prior Convictions: mixed, high. The Commission proposes three options that would require prior convictions to meet minimum sentence-length thresholds before they count as qualifying predicates: options reference sentence-imposed or time-served minima including [five years][three years][one year], and a related bracketed possibili… - Limit on Records Government May Use to Show Violence: benefit, medium. The Commission would require the government to make a prima facie showing that an offense is a "crime of violence" using only specified record sources such as the charging document, jury instructions and verdict form, plea agreement or plea colloquy, and comparable judicial records. This constraint… - Firearm Guideline Changes for MCDs and Mens Rea: mixed, medium. The Commission proposes amendments to Sec. 2K2.1 to address application to offenses involving machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) and to add a mens rea (mental state) requirement for enhancements for stolen firearms and firearms with modified serial numbers. These proposed changes are included in… - Robbery Enhancement and Criminal-History Conflicts: mixed, medium. The Commission proposes three options to resolve a circuit split over the "physically restrained" enhancement in robbery (Sec. 2B3.1(b)(4)(B)) concerning victims restricted at gunpoint but not physically immobilized, and proposes an amendment to Sec. 4A1.2(a)(2) to resolve a circuit split about whe… - Possible Retroactive Application to Past Sentences: mixed, high. The Commission is asking for public comment on whether any of the proposed amendments should be listed in Sec. 1B1.10(d) so courts may apply them retroactively under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c)(2) and 28 U.S.C. 994(u). Public comment should address the amendment’s purpose, magnitude of change to guideline ra… - Restructure of Guidelines Manual and Process: mixed, medium. The Commission requests comment and proposes amendments to restructure the Guidelines Manual to simplify the three-step process in Sec. 1B1.1 and to clarify guidance on using departures and considering individual defendant characteristics. These restructuring proposals are part of the proposed 2025… ## Related documents - [2026-20724](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20724): Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Sentinel Deployment and Minuteman III Decommissioning and…, 2026-10-09 - [2026-20771](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20771): Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings, 2026-10-09 - [2026-20708](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20708): Self-Regulatory Organizations; Investors Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Pursuant to IEX…, 2026-10-09 - [2026-20710](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20710): Self-Regulatory Organizations; Investors Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Pursuant to IEX…, 2026-10-09 - [2026-20779](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20779): Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires From Thailand: Preliminary Results and Rescission, in Part, of Antidumping Duty Administrative Revi…, 2026-10-09 - [2026-20763](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20763): National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures: Wintertime Oil and Gas Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska C…, 2026-10-09 ## Sources - [2024-31279 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/02/2024-31279/sentencing-guidelines-for-united-states-courts) - [2024-31279 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-02/pdf/2024-31279.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2024-31066, Notice of First Amendment to Compact With the Federal Democratic Republic of Ne…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31066) - [Next: 2024-31416, Notice of Meeting; National Advisory Committee on the Trafficking of Children a…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31416) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31279 (as of 2026-06-08).