Investigation: Why North Texas meth sentences are toughest in nation

The News combed through 10 years of meth sentences handed down by federal district judges. THE BIG STORY [An animated gif shows a gavel and a pipe.]( An animated gif shows a gavel and a pipe. (Michael Hogue / Staff Illustrator) [Analysis finds meth sentences are harsher in North Texas than rest of U.S.]( Meth sentences handed down by federal district judges are harsher in the Northern District of Texas than anywhere else in the U.S., a new investigation from The Dallas Morning News reveals. More people are in federal prison for drug crimes than any other crime, and more people are serving time for meth than other deadlier drugs such as fentanyl. Federal sentences for meth crimes exact a human cost and put a financial strain on U.S. taxpayers. It costs roughly $1.4 billion a year just to house meth offenders. And the federal court district covering Dallas had the highest median meth sentences in the country between October 2013 and September 2023. For this report, The News reviewed hundreds of North Texas meth trafficking cases from 2013 to 2023 and interviewed dozens of defense attorneys, former prosecutors, law professors, retired judges, and others who have spent their careers researching and studying criminal justice. Our analysis reveals that even nonviolent and first-time offenders caught with relatively small amounts of meth face decades behind bars with no parole. Read [our full investigation]( on meth sentences and how they impact North Texans. [READ MORE]( Related: - North Texas’ long meth sentences [cost taxpayers millions](, fail to curb smuggling - How do so many North Texas meth offenders [end up in prison for so long?]( [The Dallas Morning News]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [X (formerly Twitter)]( [YouTube]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Account Login]( | [Help Center]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Manage Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( ©2024 The Dallas Morning News • 1954 Commerce St. • Dallas, TX 75201