🔗 Share this article

The count of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its record point since records started in 1980.

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

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

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were male.

The other six deaths happened in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The 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 "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has stated.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that needs "leadership and political action."

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

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

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.