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The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since the beginning of records began in 1980.

Recently released data indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the national population.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

One death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The remaining six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The data noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner has remarked.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "country-wide crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with bereaved families, stated very little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's maddening to witness the number of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the findings.