Board Of Parole Hearings
Catina Rose Salarno
1/13/61 - 9/3/79
Catina Rose Salarno was a sweet, beautiful 18 year old girl, just beginning a promising life. She was an idealistic pre-med student and a bright National Merit Scholar. Her life was brutally ended by Steven John Burns, an ex-boyfriend.
Our family has been notified that Steven Burns (C-20341), the MURDERER of our daughter, CATINA ROSE SALARNO, is once again eligible for a parole suitability hearing on, Tuesday, September 28, 2010, The hearing will take place at PLEASANT VALLEY PRISON in Coalinga, CA. This will be our 9th parole hearing.
If you recall in 2006 (our 8th parole hearing) your efforts helped us to gain a 4-year denial. THANK YOU!
However, as we have so painfully learned, in California life in prison, does not mean life for the inmate, but life for the victims. Our family has continually been subjected to the lies of a callous, NON-REMORSEFUL murderer.
A jury convicted Steven Burns of Second Degree Murder for the CALLOUS killing of Catina. He shot her execution-style and left her on the ground trying to crawl for help. He then went to his dorm room and watched Monday Night Football while she slowly bled to death.
In California, a Second Degree Murder conviction carries a life prison term. At sentencing, the judge remarked that Steven Burns had “shown no remorse for the taking of a human life and must atone for the heinous crime he committed, therefore he will be sentenced to life in state prison”. Since 1979, he has continued his pattern of no remorse and poses a very real and serious threat to our family and public safety. However, the criminal justice system has allowed Steven Burns to continually receive parole hearings, providing little justice for the victims of violent crimes by repeatedly dragging us back into this trauma.
Many of you walked with us through the previous nightmare of the parole hearing. Once again we are asking for your support by writing letters of opposition to his release and completing a petition.
Please send letters and petitions to: Please send a copy of your letter to:
Pleasant Valley State Prison Mike & Harriet Salarno
ATTN: Lifer Board Desk C/O Crime Victims United
PO Box 8500 11400 Atwood Rd.
Coalinga, CA 93210 Auburn, Ca 95603
Re: Steven Burns, CDC# C-20341
Parole Hearing, September 28, 2010
Letters and Petitions may be mailed beginning immediately, but must be mailed no later than: SEPTEMBER 10, 2010.
{CLICK HERE } for a letter for your signature, first initial, last name, City & State only, or suggestions if you wish to write your own letter. WHILE THE LETTER IS ADDRESSSED TO MR. HOSHINO AT THE BOARD OF PAROLE HEARINGS, PLEASE MAIL THE LETTER DIRECT TO THE PRISON AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS.
Please ask your friends to sign the petition. {click here for Petition} Please make copies of this petition first if you need more then one copy. You may also sign our online petition by clicking on the button below.
Please write or type “CONFIDENTIAL” on top of your letters and petitions and they will be seen only by the BOPH.
We ask that you send your letter, petitions to Pleasant Valley Prison direct and a copy of your letter and/or petitions to us at the above address. Letters and petitions must be received by SEPTEMBER 14, 2020. We will take the copies to the hearing to make sure the commissioners received them.
THANK YOU on behalf of our family and other victims we may help.
Sincerely,
Mike and Harriet Salarno
Lance & Regina (Salarno) Novello
Ron & Nina (Salarno) Ashford
IF YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING PAROLE HEARING:
To find out about a parole hearing, you must let the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services know that you wish to be notified every time there is a parole hearing. You will want to make sure your name and contact information are on correct and on file so that they will be able to notify you when a parole hearing is scheduled. You can contact the CDCR Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Service Coordinator at 916-327-5933 or toll free at 1-877-256-6877 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Board of Parole Hearings is required by law to notify any victim of any crime committed by the inmate at least 90 days before a parole hearing ONLY if requested by the victim.
It is extremely important for you to attend the parole hearing in person. It is important for the commissioners to hear the impact on the victim and put a face to the victim.
The hearing itself is usually before one Commissioner and one Deputy Commissioner. The inmate may attend the hearing, however their attendance is at their own discretion. They have the right to decide whether they will attend right up to the start time of the hearing. The county where the crime was committed may send a DA or DA Advocate. The victim or a representative for the victim (next of kin, spouse, parents, children or family friends) have the right to attend the parole hearing. Under Marsy’s Law, the victim or next of kin now have the right to have an attorney present at the parole hearing to represent their interest.
It is good to have an impact statement prepared. The impact statement should speak from the heart and tell of how the crime has impacted your life even to this day. You should also speak about how your life will be impacted if the inmate is released. No one may interrupt you during your impact statement. Your statement should be short and focused. The statement should only be 2 pages and 2 -5 minutes. This is a new law under penal code section 3043 at it is highly advised that you take a copy of this code with you in the event the commissioners are not aware of the new code. Have extra copies of your statement available for the DA or your attorney to provide to the commissioners and inmate attorney.
After you speak, the commissioners will clear the room and deliberate. This can take an hour or more. When they are done, they will call everyone back into the room for their decision..
They can deny parole for 3, 5, 7, 10 or 15 years. They will explain their decision whether it is a denial or a grant and it will be recorded and made into a transcript that the victim has a right to a copy of. If parole is denied, the inmate may file an appeal. This process can take several months, however, if an appeal is granted, there will be a new hearing. If parole is granted it must be reviewed by the Board of Parole Hearings and ultimately the Governor before an inmate may be released. The inmate is kept in prison during this time. The process can take up to 4 months. You can write the Governor to ask him to deny the parole. You can also ask other’s to write letters on your behalf to the Governor asking him to deny the parole.You may also want to cc the Governor’s Legal Affairs Secretary. The Governor’s contact info is found at http://gov.ca.gov/interact#contact