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The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

Recently released statistics indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national population.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous 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 prior year.

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were male.

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

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The data found that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous 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 rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

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

Demographic Details and Academic Response

The average age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "national crisis" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.