🔗 Share this article

The tally of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its peak point since the beginning of records started in 1980.

Recently released data reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain severely represented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning figures come to light over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death was in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were male.

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

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

The 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 all recorded three deaths.

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently said.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Demographic Details and Academic Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's maddening to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years after the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.