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The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its peak point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national people.

These concerning numbers come to light over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

One death was in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were men.

The other six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's coroner recently said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Response

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said very little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to address this issue.

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

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.