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The number of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

Recently released data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning statistics emerge over three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

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

The remaining six deaths happened in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data 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 Indigenous 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 New South Wales is a "deeply 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 "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Details and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were awaiting a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.