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

New figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are severely represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing less than four per cent of the national people.

These concerning statistics emerge over three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were male.

The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The data found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest 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 increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently said.

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

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.