Rhode Island felony penalties are among the most severe in New England. Prison sentences range from one year and a day (the minimum to qualify as a felony) all the way to life without parole for first-degree murder.
Common sentencing ranges:
- Drug distribution, 5 to 40 years depending on substance and quantity
- Assault with a dangerous weapon (ADW), up to 20 years
- First-degree robbery, 10 years to life
- First-degree sexual assault, 10 years to life, plus mandatory registration
- Burglary, up to life
- Kidnapping, up to 20 years
- Carrying a firearm without a license, 3 to 10 years with a one-year mandatory minimum
On top of prison time: fines up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, restitution, probation often 5+ years, mandatory DNA submission, and, for sex offenses, lifetime sex offender registration.
Collateral consequences of any felony conviction include:
- Permanent loss of firearm rights
- Loss of voting rights during incarceration
- Deportation for non-citizens
- Professional license revocation
- Employment barriers in healthcare, education, finance, government
- Public housing ineligibility
- Loss of federal student aid
Some Rhode Island felonies carry mandatory minimum sentences the judge cannot suspend or run concurrent. This is why every Bank & Munns felony defense starts with charge-reduction strategy, keeping exposure as low as possible before any plea or trial decision.