🔗 Share this article

The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its peak point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Recently released figures show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain severely represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

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

The other six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous 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 milestone," the state's coroner recently said.

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 responsibility."

Demographic Details and Academic Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to witness the number of investigations 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 progressively more severe," she noted.

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