SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Massey Commission held its final meeting Monday night, following just over a year of consistent work and actionable steps taken by the county to improve the community.

The Massey Commission was established in September 2024 as a direct response to the killing of Sonya Massey and Earl Moore, Jr., and the injuries sustained by Gregory Small, Jr. 

Some noteworthy accomplishments by the Massey Commission during their year-long residency include recommendations for resolutions to establish a 708 Mental Health Board, giving voters the decision to recall a sheriff in the county, and creating more in-depth background checks and hiring processes for law enforcement offices.

The 708 Mental Health Board was approved by county voters, but two recommendations made it even farther. Senate Bill 1953 was passed into law as the Sonya Massey Law, and Senate Bill 1954 will put the ability to recall on the ballot in the 2026 general election, but it is currently locked in the House Rules Committee. 

As the Massey Commission's final action, they passed 26 "Calls to Action" unanimously, which will be passed to governing bodies across the county: 

  1. Authorize the Installation of a Commemorative Plaque Honoring Sonya Massey and Those Affected by Systemic Injustice
  2. Establish a Countywide Interoperable Crisis Response and Dispatch Framework
  3. Establish a Pilot Program to Expand Crisis Responder Qualifications and Integrate Individuals with Lived Experience into Behavioral Health Response Systems
  4. Establish Enhanced Law Enforcement Vetting and Hiring Standards
  5. Establish Countywide Psychological Evaluation Standards for First Responders
  6. Establish Countywide Standards for In-Person Anti-Racism, De-Escalation, and Crisis Intervention Training
  7. Expand Law Enforcement Recruitment Pipelines and Require Data-Driven Cluster Hiring Practices
  8. Convene a Countywide Mental Health and Public Safety Coordination Summit to Address Service Capacity and Continuity of Care
  9. Define Strategic Priorities for the Sangamon County 708 Mental Health Board to Advance Access, Equity, and System Coordination
  10. Urge the Illinois General Assembly to Enact Qualified Immunity Reform to Strengthen Civil Rights Accountability
  11. Establish a Countywide Transparency and Accountability Dashboard for Law Enforcement Oversight
  12. Establish the Civilian Oversight Board of Sangamon County
  13. Establish a Coordinated Police Accountability and Transparency Framework Between the City of Springfield and Sangamon County
  14. Establish the Annual People's Scorecard Summit to Monitor and Report Progress on Massey Commission Reforms
  15. Require Countywide Health, Wellness, and Social Vulnerability Data Tracking and Public Accountability System
  16. Establish a Countywide Transit Equity Analysis and Mobility Access Framework
  17. Require Comprehensive Equity and Accessibility Reviews and Departmental Inclusion Plans
  18. Establish a Sangamon County Resources Portal to Consolidate and Expand Access to Community Services
  19. Establish the Sangamon County Opportunity Access Plan and Equitable Economic Development Framework
  20. Require the Publication of Anonymized Lending and Borrower Data to Ensure Financial Transparency and Consumer Protection
  21. Prioritize Additive Job Creation, Ending Extractive Incentives, and Expanding Workforce Training for Marginalized Residents
  22. Advance Equitable Housing, Community Revitalization, and Minority Contractor Capacity Across Sangamon County
  23. Expand Preventive and Primary Care Access Through an Integrated Mobile Health Network and Diverse Workforce Development Strategy
  24. Establish an Annual Sangamon County Civil Rights and Accountability Summit
  25. Support the Expansion and Countywide Replication of School-Based Peace Rooms and Social-Emotional Learning Programs
  26. Urge a Comprehensive Review of the Massey Commission Final Report and Workgroup Findings

The Commission said that these are not recommendations, but "community expectations" that are entrusted to those in power to put into action.

"The words on the paper are only the beginning," said Massey Commission Co-Chair JoAnn Johnson. "What comes next is how we live them out; through accountability, through care, through action that makes our values visible." 

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