U.S. Sentencing Commission proposes narrowing career-offender definitions; publishes data on who would be affected

David Rudder, research associate in the Office of Research and Data at the United States Sentencing Commission, said the Commission voted on Jan. 30, 2026, to publish proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines for public comment and presented analyses of who would be affected.

The proposed changes would revise definitions in Section 4B1.2 of the Guidelines Manual for the terms "crime of violence" and "controlled substance offense," and include multiple drafting options. "On 01/30/2026, the Commission voted to publish proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines for public comment," Rudder said.

Why it matters: the career-offender guideline at Section 4B1.1 typically increases an offender's applicable offense level and assigns them to Criminal History Category VI, producing guideline ranges that are often "at or near the maximum term authorized," Rudder said. Congress directed the Commission to assure such outcomes for qualifying defendants under 28 U.S.C. § 994(h), language the Commission cited as the statutory backdrop for any change.

What the Commission…