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The number of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has climbed to its highest point since official data began in 1980.

Fresh figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though comprising under 4% of the country's people.

These sobering figures come to light over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were men.

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

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

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

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, respect and responsibility."

Profile Details and Expert Response

The mean 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, described the data as representing a "national crisis" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she noted.

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