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The count of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its highest point since official data began in 1980.

New data show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing less than four per cent of the national population.

These sobering numbers emerge more than three decades after a pivotal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

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

One death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were men.

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

The leading reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "illness." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The 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 Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said very little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the number of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.