ABSTRACT
In Connecticut, a successful civil suit filed by Tracy Thurman against her town and 29 of its police officers for failure to protect her civil rights provided an immediate impetus for policy change. Consequently, the state legislature passed the Family Violence Prevention and Response Act of 1986. The new law represented a comprehensive combination of compassion and control approaches. The control provisions included: mandatory arrest with probable cause, increased accessibility and use of protective orders and arraignment on the court day following the arrest. According to the Connecticut State Police, the family violence arrests in 1988 stemmed from incidents in which nearly 84% of the victims were women, whereas over 89% of the offenders were men. Advocates provide information and support to victims, and help them prepare for oral or written statements to the court during the trial or at sentencing.
