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The number of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since records started in 1980.

New figures reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning figures emerge over three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

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

The remaining six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal 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 increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner recently stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Information and Expert Response

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

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

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.