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The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since the beginning of records began in 1980.

Recently released figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, even though comprising less than four per cent of the national people.

These disturbing numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

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.

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the deceased were male.

The other six deaths took place in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The report found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then 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 this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's coroner recently remarked.

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

Profile Information and Academic Response

The average 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 "country-wide crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.