The Massey Commission is hosting three community feedback sessions in October to discuss recommendations from the commission’s four work groups as a result of last month’s community-centered approach to discussing the commission’s ongoing work.
“These are not routine meetings,” Adam White, the commission’s public engagement coordinator, wrote in an email. “They are the community’s chance to intervene, insist, and influence the future of justice, equity and safety in Sangamon County.”
The commission was created in 2024 to address “systemic issues in law enforcement practices, mental health responses and community relations” one month after Sonya Massey called 911 only to be shot and killed in her home by a sheriff’s deputy.
Meetings will take place at CAP 1908, 1100 S. Grand Ave., from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesdays:
- Oct. 8: Law enforcement hiring, training, wellness and cultural competency
- Oct. 15: Economic disparities and service accessibility
- Oct. 22: Integrated mental health and emergency response; Community education on public health and safety (combined session)
“Attendees will be invited to question, push back and shape the recommendations with their own lived experience,” the press release reads. “Every perspective matters. Every story helps build a more just, responsive and equitable Sangamon County.”
In its early days, the commission also issued a resolution calling for Sangamon County to establish a dedicated mental health board, also known in Illinois as a 708 Board.
Related
Securing mental health funding
Last week, the Sangamon County Mental Health Commission – a separate short-term entity formed by the Sangamon County Board to assess the costs and benefits of establishing a county mental health board through a public referendum set for March 2026 – recommended the County Board structure the referendum through a sales tax increase. The commission unanimously approved placing the question of a 0.5% sales tax increase on next year’s March ballot, though its final report to the County Board is not due until December.
If instituted, the 0.5% sales tax increase would result in taxpayers paying 5 cents more on a $10 purchase, or 50 cents more on a $100 purchase, but generate close to $14.75 million for a mental health board to fund services around the county.
The Massey Commission is also set to share a final report with the County Board in December.
Dilpreet Raju is a staff writer for Illinois Times and a Report for America corps member.
Are they looking for input from people with common sense and a brain? Or are they looking for input from people who think like they do?