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The count of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

New statistics indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the national population.

These sobering statistics emerge over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures

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

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

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

The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

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

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Profile Information and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.