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

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing under 4% of the national population.

These concerning figures emerge over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged 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 occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were men.

The other six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The main cause of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then 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 this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Demographic Information and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.