🔗 Share this article

The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its record point since records started in 1980.

Recently released figures indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the preceding corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the national people.

These sobering statistics come to light more than three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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

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

The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

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

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's coroner has remarked.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Details and Academic Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to see the number of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.