🔗 Share this article

The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since official data started in 1980.

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the national people.

These sobering statistics come to light more than three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis 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 rise from 18 in the previous year.

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

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

The main cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has stated.

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

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, said very little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to witness the number of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.