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The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of records began in 1980.

Fresh data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These disturbing numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

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

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

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian 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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner has stated.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Demographic Details and Academic Response

The average age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

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

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.