🔗 Share this article

The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its peak point since official data began in 1980.

New data reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, even though comprising under 4% of the national people.

These sobering numbers emerge over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

One death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the individuals were men.

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

The main cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales had 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 all recorded three deaths.

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

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

Demographic Information and Academic Reaction

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

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with grieving families, said very little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to tackle this crisis.

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

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the findings.