The number of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its record point since the beginning of records started in 1980.
New data show that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's people.
These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a pivotal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.
Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures
Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.
A single death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were male.
The other six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.
The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.
Geographic Distribution
The state of New South Wales had the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by 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 this state is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently remarked.
In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."
Profile Details and Expert Reaction
The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the deceased were still waiting for a sentence.
A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "country-wide emergency" that needs "leadership and political action."
Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, stated little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to address this crisis.
"It's maddening to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she commented.
From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.
