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The tally of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since records began in 1980.

New statistics reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely overrepresented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the national people.

These sobering numbers emerge over three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

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

The other six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities 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 trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Profile Information and Expert Response

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with grieving families, said little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that was established to address this crisis.

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

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.