Beyond the Frontlines: The Day-to-Day Realities and Decision-Making Processes among Hidden Justice System Personnel

Session Submission Type: Pre-arranged Panel

Abstract

Research and public discourse often center on police officers and court officials, who serve as the public face of the criminal justice system. Yet, the justice system is a complex mix of organizations and personnel that includes many people working in less visible roles. This panel examines the experiences of overlooked justice system actors—specifically, emergency communications personnel and detention officers—who play critical yet under-recognized roles in shaping public safety. One paper uses systematic social observation data to describe the full range of calls that communications personnel must address, including those that never get recorded in official data. A second examines the discretionary power of emergency call takers by exploring how their role orientation influences whether they frame incidents as crises or criminal matters. A third presentation explores the working relationship between dispatchers and patrol officers, finding that while there are points of synergy, differing institutional cultures and goals sometimes create tensions that affect efficiency. The final paper extends the focus to detention officers, who, like communications personnel, often feel unseen and underappreciated by the public. By bringing visibility to these hidden personnel, this panel deepens our understanding of how communications personnel and detention officers view and enact their roles in the justice system, providing implications for policy, training, and institutional reform.

Subtopic

• Topic 5: Social Control and Criminal Justice / Policing and Law enforcement (Policing WG)

Chair

• Beth Huebner, Arizona State University

Individual Presentations

• Lost in the System? Understanding 911 Calls That Never Reach Dispatch - Konstadina Spanoudakis, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Crisis or Crime? Role Orientation and Discretion in Emergency Communications - Lee Ann Slocum, University of Missouri-St. Louis

• Different Cultures and Divergent Goals: Communication and Information Flows between Dispatchers and Patrol Personnel - Joseph Schafer, Arizona State University

• “Where are we?” Perceptions of Inclusion and Recognition among Hidden Justice System Personnel - Beth Huebner, Arizona State University