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

Recently released statistics indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain severely represented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's population.

These concerning numbers emerge over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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 rise from 18 in the previous year.

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

The other six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The data noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Aboriginal 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 growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner has remarked.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Response

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said very little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"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 royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.