Another month of Booker stats from the USSC

Continuing what has become a monthly tradition, US Sentencing Commission's Booker webpage now has updated post-Booker sentencing data available at this link.  The latest USSC post-Booker sentencing update includes all cases sentenced by close-of-business on November 1, 2005, and the cumulative data now cover almost 46,500 cases.  From a quick review, the latest numbers continue the basic stories that emerged from the data released over the summer (details here and here, commentary here). 

Though I am always pleased to get data from the USSC, I highlighted in this prior post why I believe the Commission needs ASAP to start adding more flesh to the bare data bones of its periodic reports.  As I explained in this post, cumulative and even circuit-by-circuit within-guideline data provide only a superficial view of post-Booker realities.  District-by-district data and data on the extent of, and justifications for, departures and variances are essential for a true understanding of federal sentencing after Booker.  I am coming to fear that we may have to wait until at least next year to start seeing some of the information highlighted on my Booker data wish list.