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The number of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its peak point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New data show that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian 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 disturbing numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were male.

The remaining six deaths took place in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

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

The rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful examination, respect and responsibility."

Profile Details and Expert Reaction

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with bereaved families, said very little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's maddening to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.