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The count of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has climbed to its highest point since records started in 1980.

Recently released statistics reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the national people.

These sobering statistics emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 took place while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

A single death was in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

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

The main reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest 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 growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

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

Profile Information and Academic Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "national emergency" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with bereaved families, stated little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to tackle this issue.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the many 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.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, according to the report.