Fewer custody deaths follow public intoxication reform
thewest.com.au · 16 October 2026
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Western Australia decriminalised public intoxication in 2021, and the change reduced deaths while people were in police custody.
The reform particularly benefited First Nations people, who previously faced disproportionate policing related to public intoxication. Prior to the change, First Nations people represented a large percentage of those arrested for public intoxication and subsequent deaths in custody.
Was this worth your time?
