🔗 Share this article

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

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the national population.

These disturbing statistics emerge more than three decades after a pivotal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were male.

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

The primary reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The report noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Aboriginal deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently said.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Information and Academic Response

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "national crisis" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, said very little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.