🔗 Share this article

The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has climbed to its record point since records started in 1980.

Fresh figures reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately represented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing less than four per cent of the national people.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

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

The other six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous 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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has stated.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Profile Information and Expert Response

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide emergency" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.