THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE CONNECTICUT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS TO DETERMINE WHETHER BATTERED WOMEN WERE DENIED EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS, AND WHETHER THEY HAD EQUAL ACCESS TO SOCIAL SERVICES. STUDY ACTIVITIES INCLUDED INTERVIEWS WITH BATTERED WOMEN, REVIEWS OF POLICE FILES, OBSERVATION OF POLICE HANDLING OF BATTERING CASES, AND A PUBLIC HEARING. THE REPORT ADDRESSES THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM, BOTH GENERALLY AND IN HARTFORD, AND FOCUSES ON MYTHS ABOUT WIFE ABUSE. THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN SPOUSE ABUSE CASES IS DISCUSSED AT LENGTH, INCLUDING ARRESTS AND PROSECUTION, COURT HEARINGS, CONVICTION AND SENTENCING (WITH STATISTICS ON DISPOSITION OF ARRESTS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN HARTFORD OVER A 1-MONTH PERIOD), BAIL, AND PROBATION. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE TRAINING OF POLICE AND COURT PERSONNEL IN HANDLING DOMESTIC CRISES, ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING, AND FEMALE/MINORITY REPRESENTATION ON THE HARTFORD POLICE FORCE. SUPPORT SYSTEMS AVAILABLE TO BATTERED WOMEN--SHELTERS, MEDICAL CARE, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE--ARE DESCRIBED, AND THEIR ADEQUACY IS ASSESSED. THE STUDY FOUND THAT, BY AND LARGE, BATTERED WOMEN IN HARTFORD ARE NOT RECEIVING THE ASSISTANCE THEY NEED. THE REPORT CLOSES WITH A SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH COMPONENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL SERVICE SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING BATTERED WOMEN.