“The evidence is clear that issues associated with personal drug use are best addressed through the health system, not the justice system,” he said.
Figures released on Thursday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics ABS showed the number of offenders prosecuted by police in 2019-2020 was the lowest in the past 12 years.
ABS Director of Crime and Justice Statistics, William Milne, said there were 374,645 offenders in Australia in 2019-20, a decrease of 5 per cent from the previous year.
The QPC report found drug addicts lives would be improved by decriminalisation without increasing the rate of drug use.
If the reforms were implemented immediately, the QPC report found “the prison population would be between 20 to 30 per cent lower in 2025”.
Queenslanders to have their say on alcohol & drugs miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.