🔗 Share this article

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

Recently released data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing less than four per cent of the national people.

These disturbing statistics come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

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

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

The other six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The main cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody 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 recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, dignity and accountability."

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with grieving families, stated little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed 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 three decades past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

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