With Sin by Silence, we knew from the very beginning that we wanted to create enough of an impact to free the women of Convicted Women Against Abuse. To create more than just a film, but an impact that went straight to the California Capitol to directly help the women who are featured in the film. Our dream finally is coming true with The Sin by Silence Bills (AB 593 & AB 1593).

“I’ve worked on a wide variety of issues, but there is none
that is more dear to my heart than the issue of incarcerated victims.
After watching the moving film Sin By Silence,
I decided that action needed to be taken.”
- Assemblymember Fiona Ma

Both bills were signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown and went into effect on January 1, 2013. This is a historical moment in the anti-domestic violence movement as California is the only state in the country to have these unprecedented laws to give incarcerated survivors the opportunity to be heard and have another chance at justice.

AB 593 will do two things: it will allow victims of domestic violence whose expert testimony was limited at their trial court proceedings to re-file for a writ of habeas corpus to allow this expert testimony to weigh in on their defense and it will also give victims more time to receive legal representation by deleting the sunset date currently in statute.

AB 1593 will give victims who have suffered Intimate Partner Battering (IPB) a chance to present their evidence in an effective way during the parole process by giving great weight to any information or evidence that proves the prisoner experienced IPB and its effects at the time the crime was committed. This bill will also require that the information delivered to the Legislature relating to IPB, will be in specific and detailed reports.

Click here to find out more about how the Sin by Silence Bills came to life >>