Antoinette Braybrook, CEO Djirra today commended the Victorian Government’s decision to decriminalise public drunkenness and to commit to a health alternative.
“While we commend the historic decision by the Victorian Government to decriminalise public drunkenness, sadly it took Tanya Day’s Coronial Inquest and her family’s determination for this to happen. Aboriginal people have been fighting for this law to be abolished for a long time and I commend the Day family for carrying on that fight”, Ms Braybrook said.
“When Tanya Day was arrested, Aboriginal women were 11 times more likely to be arrested for public drunkenness than non-Aboriginal women. This is systemic racism and a contributing factor to Aboriginal women being the fastest growing prison population in Australia”.
“While we commend the historic decision by the Victorian Government to decriminalise public drunkenness, sadly it took Tanya Day’s Coronial Inquest and her family’s determination for this to happen. Aboriginal people have been fighting for this law to be abolished for a long time and I commend the Day family for carrying on that fight”, Ms Braybrook said.
“When Tanya Day was arrested, Aboriginal women were 11 times more likely to be arrested for public drunkenness than non-Aboriginal women. This is systemic racism and a contributing factor to Aboriginal women being the fastest growing prison population in Australia”.
