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The tally of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since official data started in 1980.

New figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the national population.

These disturbing figures emerge over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 took place while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

A single death was in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were male.

The other six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The leading reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the highest 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 rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner has stated.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Details and Academic Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the deceased were still waiting for a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with grieving families, said little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the number of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.