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The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since official data began in 1980.

Recently released figures show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year leading up to June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning numbers come to light over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

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

The remaining six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

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

Geographic Distribution

The Australian 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 all recorded three deaths.

The rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's coroner recently said.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Details and Expert Response

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively worse," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.