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The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its highest point since official data began in 1980.

New figures show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning statistics emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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

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

The remaining six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The main cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then 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 "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently said.

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

Demographic Information and Expert Response

The average age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the individuals were awaiting a court sentencing.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.