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The tally of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its highest point since official data started in 1980.

Recently released data indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national population.

These concerning numbers 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 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

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

The main cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The Australian 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 all recorded three deaths.

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

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Demographic Details and Academic Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

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

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.