🔗 Share this article

The tally of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has climbed to its peak point since records started in 1980.

Recently released figures indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning numbers come to light over three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

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 occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The other six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The leading reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

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

The rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised 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 years, and eleven of the individuals were awaiting a sentence.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's maddening to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.