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The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Fresh figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain severely overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning statistics come to light more than three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six 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 individuals were men.

The remaining six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

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

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

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

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were awaiting a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.