SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – After more than a year of examining systemic gaps in mental health response, policing and community safety, the Massey Commission delivered its annual report to the Sangamon County Board.
This call for change is sparked after the deaths of Sonya Massey, Earl Moore Jr. and Gregory Small Jr.
“Her death was not a moment — it was a breaking point, and it revealed what so many families in this county have lived through quietly. Systems that fail, systems that refused to see us until the worst happens,” said Sontae Massey, Sonya Massey’s cousin.
The annual report includes data from more than 200 community members. Also, experts in healthcare, economic development and even law enforcement. Twenty-six calls to action, with half of the recommendations the Commission said Sangamon County Board can change within months.
One example is county-wide psych evaluations for first responders.
“Residents were angry. They were scared. They were frustrated. We heard and listened to all of it, and it is woven through all of our 26 calls to action,” said JoAnn Johnson, co-chair of the Commission.
The Commission has several priorities, including law enforcement reform, housing equity and mental health response. The report reflects these issues that led to Sonya Massey’s death.
“We want to make sure that their voices are always heard, and we move forward and get recommendations done and do the right thing,” Sontae Massey said.
The commission has several priorities, including law enforcement reform, housing equity and mental health response. In the spring, the county will vote on a tax that will fund the 708 Mental Health board. This is an initiative the board approved, proposed by the Massey Commission.
Though the work started with heartbreak, the commission aims to prevent unfortunate outcomes in the community.
If you want to view the entire annual report, you can find it here.
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