Originally published June 28, 2021. Statements about the law were updated in October 2026; the box below gives today’s rules.
Compassionate release requests skyrocketed in 2020 because of COVID-19. A June 2021 report from the U.S. Sentencing Commission shows where those requests were filed, which districts granted the most, and which denied the most.
Compassionate release trends in federal court
About the report
In June 2021, the United States Sentencing Commission released a report that pulled together compassionate release data through December 2020. Reports like this give up-to-date data that shows current sentencing trends and practices.
Before 2018, courts would consider compassionate release motions only if they came from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). In December 2018, Congress changed that rule so people in prison could file motions themselves.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, requests for compassionate release skyrocketed, especially from people in prison. Courts considered thousands of requests. The Sentencing Commission’s report tracked denials and approvals by district. It also shows the year of the original sentence for people who asked for release in 2020, and who filed the request: the person in prison, the BOP, or a government attorney.
Which districts granted and denied the most
The district with the most compassionate release requests in 2020 was the Southern District of Florida, with 497. Next came Southern New York, Middle Florida, Eastern Michigan, and Eastern Virginia.
The district with the highest approval rate was Oregon, at 68.5%. It was followed, in order, by Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Guam and Massachusetts.
The district with the highest denial rate was the Virgin Islands, which granted none of its five requests. Next was Western North Carolina, which denied 97.9% of its 241 requests. Southern Georgia, Eastern Arkansas, and Eastern Oklahoma round out the bottom five.
Who filed and when they were sentenced
Generally, the longer ago someone was sentenced, the more likely their request was approved.
People in prison filed 96.4% of compassionate release motions themselves. Government attorneys filed 2.9%, and the BOP filed just 0.7%.
Why this data matters
Reports like this one help lawmakers and the public notice and track trends. This kind of data is especially important after unusual times, like the massive disruption the COVID-19 pandemic caused in 2020.
Read the Sentencing Commission’s compassionate release report (PDF)
If you want help with a compassionate release request, book a consultation.