The guidelines emphasize the aspects of each offense that should lead to a greater or lesser punishment. An overview gives the history and activities of the Commission, the purpose of the guidelines, the general principles on which they rest, and the meaning and application of modified real offense sentencing. Definitions and numerical scores for specific offense categories cover personal offenses, property offenses, offenses involving taxation, drug offenses, criminal enterprises, and six other types of offenses. Guidelines on offender characteristics assign numerical weights to the offender's role in the offense, the postoffense conduct, the criminal history, plea agreements, and other offender characteristics. A discussion of specific sentences describes the way by which the numerical values are converted into actual sentences and explains the types of sentencing options available to the court. Additional sections cover violations of probation and supervised release, fines, plea agreements, situations involving multiple crimes, and the treatment of unusual aggravating or mitigating factors. A final set of sentencing guidelines will be submitted to Congress in April 1987. Statutory index.