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The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has climbed to its record point since records started in 1980.

New data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing less than four per cent of the national population.

These concerning figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

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

The other six deaths took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The report found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's coroner has remarked.

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

Demographic Information and Expert Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action."

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

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

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which includes six in youth detention, according to the findings.