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The tally of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its record point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New statistics reveal that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

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

These concerning statistics come to light over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were men.

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

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently said.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful examination, dignity and accountability."

Profile Details and Expert Response

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

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.