ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how the Prosecution Project data can be utilized to facilitate a deeper analysis of prosecution of terrorism in the United States. A Federal Sentencing Guidelines Manual exists, but these guidelines are optional and rarely enforced. It is a documented trend that women receive significantly shorter sentences than men when committing similar crimes. Terrorism-specific research reflects the same conclusions that the general literature does; women receive less prison time than men. A sentencing hearing is the final hearing in a criminal case, the last chance for everyone in the courtroom to present their side. Prosecutors, prosecuting witnesses, defendants, and defense attorneys alike can address the judge and present any and all evidence to influence a sentence. The federal courtroom is a complex place, where judges oversee hundreds of cases yearly. It is a documented trend that women receive significantly shorter sentences than men when committing similar crimes.
