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The tally of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since official data started in 1980.

Fresh statistics indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national population.

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

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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

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

The remaining six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The rising 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, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Academic Reaction

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

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with grieving families, stated little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's infuriating to see the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.