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

Recently released figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These disturbing figures come to light more than three decades after a pivotal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal 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.

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were male.

The other six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

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

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal 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 First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, stated very little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the number of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.