Crime Victims United is proud to announce a first step in the repeal of AB 109. At a press conference in Sacramento, Crime Victims United Executive Board member, Nina Salarno Ashford stood with former Lt. Gov Abel Maldonado and other public safety supporters as he announced the filing of papers for an initiative to repeal AB 109.

Since 2007, Crime Victims United has been warning legislators that we were headed for a prison crisis. When the courts began reviewing California's handling of the prison system, CVU visited each legislator in office at the time and presented them with a comprehensive plan to avoid the crisis. Nothing was done or even acknowledged.

When AB 109 was first proposed, Crime Victims United lobbied daily at the capitol, opposing this risky bill. Knowing that county jails were for "non-serious" "non-violent" offenders and that those who were sentenced to prison were the serious, violent offenders, we warned this would be a dangerous plan. Not only did our concerns fall on deaf ears, but the legislators deceived the public assuring them these prison offenders were so called "non-serious, "non-violent".

Now, as the legislature hides behind the court ruling, refusing to act on the crime crisis in California, we are ready to fight hard to bring this initiative to the ballot. We believe strongly in the voice of citizens' and that together, we can overturn AB 109 if legislators continue to refuse to do right thing!!

We will be notifying you as the initiative process moves forward and will be asking you to join us in gathering signatures to bring this to a vote in California.

Stay tuned and thank you for joining with us.