🔗 Share this article

The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

New statistics show 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 represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These disturbing figures emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal 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 previous year.

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

The other six deaths took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data noted that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous 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 First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's coroner has said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Details and Academic Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.