Aboriginal Deaths in Detention in the Nation Reach Record Level Since the Start of 1980

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

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These sobering statistics come to light more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

A single death was in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were male.

The other six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

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

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous 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 this state is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner recently stated.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Profile Details and Academic Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "country-wide emergency" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, said very little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.