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The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since records began in 1980.

Fresh data reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing less than four per cent of the country's population.

These disturbing numbers emerge more than three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were male.

The remaining six deaths happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The main reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The report noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

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

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

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

Profile Details and Expert Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, stated very little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this crisis.

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

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.