🔗 Share this article

The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its peak point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an increase from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the national population.

These disturbing numbers come to light over three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were male.

The remaining six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities 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 milestone," the state's coroner has said.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and political action."

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

"It's maddening to witness the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively worse," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.