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The tally of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since records started in 1980.

New data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely overrepresented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the national population.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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

A single death occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the individuals were male.

The remaining six deaths happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

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

The increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner has remarked.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "national emergency" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively worse," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.