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The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its peak point since records began in 1980.

New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the year leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

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

These sobering statistics come to light over three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Statistics

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

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the individuals were men.

The other six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The main cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales had 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 this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has remarked.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "national emergency" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

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