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The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since official data began in 1980.

Recently released data show that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the country's people.

These concerning figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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 increase from 18 in the prior year.

A single death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were male.

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

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic 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 chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, stated very little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to tackle this issue.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.