🔗 Share this article

The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its peak point since official data began in 1980.

New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. 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 under 4% of the country's population.

These disturbing numbers emerge more than three decades after a pivotal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

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

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were male.

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

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by 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 "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner has said.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.