🔗 Share this article

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

Recently released data reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an increase from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain severely represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the national population.

These sobering statistics come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 took place while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

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

The remaining six deaths happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The main cause of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in prison custody 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 this state is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner has remarked.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, said very little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that was established to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in youth detention, according to the findings.