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The tally of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has climbed to its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Fresh data show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing under 4% of the country's population.

These sobering figures emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward 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 occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the individuals were men.

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

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

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

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

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

Demographic Information and Academic Reaction

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

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to address this issue.

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

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.