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The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has reached its record point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely overrepresented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, even though comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning statistics emerge over three decades after a landmark royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

The remaining six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

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 all recorded three deaths.

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Details and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the deceased were still waiting for a sentence.

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "country-wide emergency" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to witness the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.