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The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its peak point since records began in 1980.

New statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national people.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

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

One death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

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

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

Geographic Breakdown

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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

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

Profile Information and Expert Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

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