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The tally of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since records started in 1980.

Fresh data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning numbers come to light over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, 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 remaining six deaths happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The data found that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian 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 New South Wales is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's coroner recently remarked.

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

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, stated little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.