🔗 Share this article

The tally of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its peak point since official data started in 1980.

Recently released figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly represented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the national people.

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

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures

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 prior year.

One death was in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were male.

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

The main reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales had 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 all recorded three deaths.

The rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Information and Academic Response

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, stated very little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that was established to address this issue.

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

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.