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The tally of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its highest point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

Fresh data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These sobering statistics emerge over three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The remaining six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The leading reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by 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 this state is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has remarked.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national crisis" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to tackle this issue.

"It's maddening to see the number of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

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