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The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of records began in 1980.

Fresh figures show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's population.

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

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

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

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

The primary reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous 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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this issue.

"It's maddening to see the number 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.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.