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The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its record point since official data began in 1980.

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

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

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner has said.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Details and Academic Response

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

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

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

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.