🔗 Share this article

The tally of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its peak point since official data began in 1980.

New statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These sobering numbers emerge over three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 took place while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the deceased were men.

The remaining six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in prison custody 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 this state is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

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