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The number of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its peak point since records began in 1980.

Fresh figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing under 4% of the country's people.

These sobering figures emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 took place while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

A single death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

The remaining six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently stated.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Profile Information and Academic Response

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the deceased were awaiting a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, stated very little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, according to the findings.