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The count of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since the beginning of records started in 1980.

New data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely 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 sobering figures come to light more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures

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 rise from 18 in the previous year.

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

The remaining six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The data found that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales had the greatest 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 growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "country-wide emergency" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with grieving families, stated little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the number of investigations 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 increasingly worse," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.