🔗 Share this article

The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has climbed to its peak point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain grossly represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These disturbing figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

A single death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

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

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "natural causes." The data noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

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

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently stated.

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

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this crisis.

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

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.