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The tally of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its peak point since records began in 1980.

Recently released data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These sobering figures come to light over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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 increase from 18 in the prior year.

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

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

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

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 each had three deaths.

The rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently said.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Information and Academic Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the deceased were still waiting for a court sentencing.

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, said little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that was established to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

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