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The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has climbed to its highest point since the beginning of records started in 1980.

New data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the national population.

These concerning figures emerge over three decades after a pivotal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest 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.

A single death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The other six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

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

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the greatest 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 growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently stated.

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

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "leadership and government action."

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

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

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.