Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) — Two years after the death of Sonya Massey, her family and members of the Massey Commission are launching a new organization aimed at ensuring recommendations for public safety and mental health reform become reality.
The newly formed Massey Community Action Network will focus on implementing the commission’s calls to action while bringing together community organizations, local leaders and public agencies to advocate for policy changes.
Sontae Massey, Sonya Massey’s cousin, said the family’s outlook has evolved since the commission was first created.
“Initially, we thought this was just a shell of an entity to keep us quiet,” Massey said. “Then we really got to work, and we really wanted to get these initiatives passed. We started having faith in the process, and at the end of it we said, ‘We’ve got to do more.’”
The Illinois-Sangamon County Massey Commission was established following Sonya Massey’s fatal shooting by former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson in July 2024. The commission later issued 26 calls to action and more than 100 recommendations addressing policing, mental health services and racial equity before concluding its work.
Adam White, who handled public engagement and communications for the commission, said the network was created because members knew the work would continue beyond the commission’s lifespan.
“We always knew that the system that had been constructed in this country for the better part of 250 years was not going to be dismantled and rebuilt within a year,” White said. “We really saw a vision for something that could unite organizations, community leaders and accountable parties to push policy that we know needs to happen.”
Among the organization’s initial priorities is expanding crisis response programs across Sangamon County. White said the group wants to establish countywide crisis responder and co-responder programs that pair mental health professionals with law enforcement during behavioral health emergencies.
White said those programs would better serve residents experiencing mental health crises while also supporting police officers, who often are not trained to de-escalate those situations.
“It isn’t fair for us as a community to put that on law enforcement,” White said. “We really do feel like if we had either a co-responder program or a crisis responder program, Sonya would still be here.”
The organization also plans to advocate for updated psychological evaluation standards for first responders, expanded crisis intervention training, implicit bias and anti-racism education, and additional community resources.
Massey acknowledged that while some progress has been made — including the creation of the Sangamon County 708 Mental Health Board and the dedication of a memorial bridge honoring his cousin — he believes much more work remains.
“As a family, we’ve noticed that there hasn’t really been much done,” Massey said. “There’s been a lot suggested. More needs to be done, and that’s why I’m grateful for this venture.”
White said the network expects to officially launch in the coming weeks with a website and opportunities for community members to become involved.
Massey said the support their family has received from the community has helped them continue moving forward.
“Our community has really stepped up and reached out and been a big part of our healing,” he said.
Region: Springfield,News,Region: Central,City: Springfield
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July 8, 2026 at 05:47PM
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