Aboriginal Deaths in Detention in the Nation Climb to Record Number Since the Start of 1980

The tally of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its record point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the national people.

These disturbing numbers emerge more than three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

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

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 primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The growing 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, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

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

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.