🔗 Share this article

The tally of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since official data started in 1980.

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national population.

These concerning statistics emerge over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred 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 male.

The remaining six deaths happened in police custody, 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-inflicted," with "natural causes." The report noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in prison custody with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently said.

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

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

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

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

"It's heartbreaking to witness the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.