🔗 Share this article

The count of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its peak point since official data started in 1980.

New figures reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately represented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the national population.

These concerning statistics come to light over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The remaining six fatalities took place 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 First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Aboriginal 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 rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

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

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated very little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the number of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.