🔗 Share this article

The tally of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its peak point since records started in 1980.

New statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though comprising less than four per cent of the national people.

These sobering figures emerge over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the deceased were men.

The other six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

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

Geographic Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest 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 New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and responsibility."

Profile Information and Expert Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.