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The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its highest point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New data reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the preceding corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising under 4% of the country's people.

These disturbing figures come to light more than three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 took place while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

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

The remaining six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The main cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then 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 New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.