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The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its record point since records began in 1980.

New figures show that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the preceding corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing under 4% of the national people.

These disturbing statistics come to light more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

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

A single death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were men.

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

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody 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 New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently said.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Profile Details and Expert Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and political action."

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

"It's maddening to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.