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The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since official data began in 1980.

Fresh figures show that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing less than four per cent of the national people.

These sobering statistics come to light over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 took place while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

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

The remaining six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales had 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 Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently said.

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

Profile Information and Academic Response

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the deceased were awaiting a sentence.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with bereaved families, said very little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to witness the quantity 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 situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.