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The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since records started in 1980.

New data indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's population.

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

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous 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 previous year.

One death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were male.

The other six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous 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 milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

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

Demographic Details and Academic Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to tackle this issue.

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

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.