🔗 Share this article

The tally of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing less than four per cent of the country's population.

These disturbing statistics emerge more than three decades after a pivotal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 took place while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

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

The remaining six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The main reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." 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 Aboriginal 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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently remarked.

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

Profile Details and Academic Response

The average age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide emergency" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with grieving families, stated little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to address this issue.

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

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, according to the report.