September 3, 1979, forever changed the lives of Mike and Harriet Salarno. Their eldest daughter, Catina Rose Salarno, was senselessly murdered “execution style” at the University of the Pacific in Stockton on her first day of college when she was only 18 years old.

In the years following, the Salarno family endured the frustrating criminal justice system that tilted too heavily toward preserving criminal rights while barely addressing the rights and needs of victims and their families.

In 1982, Harriet co-chaired the Crime Victims Bill of Rights effort which established a historic turning point for victims of crime and set off a national wave of states enacting similar laws. Since then, Harriet has been instrumental in bringing change to various states’ criminal justice systems.

CRIME VICTIMS UNITED was born from Harriet’s passion to fix this problem and ensure no victims’ families would again experience the anguish of fighting their own criminal justice system.

Through Harriet’s leadership, Crime Victims United grew quickly and is today recognized as the Nation’s most trusted victims’ rights advocacy group.

In 2008, Harriet helped rally victims’ groups to assist in the passage of the Marsy’s Law constitutional amendment ballot measure. This measure added 17 specific victims’ and victims’ families’ rights into the California Constitution. This victory represented the first time any state constitution had specifically addressed and protected victims’ rights. Harriet has also spearheaded multiple battles to save California’s death penalty from being abolished.