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The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since official data began in 1980.

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain severely represented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing under 4% of the national people.

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

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

One death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were men.

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

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had 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 increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's maddening to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.