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The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its highest point since records started in 1980.

Recently released data show that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, despite representing under 4% of the national people.

These sobering statistics emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Statistics

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 increase from 18 in the previous year.

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

The other six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

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

State-by-State Breakdown

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 all recorded three deaths.

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.