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The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its highest point since the beginning of records began in 1980.

Recently released statistics indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain grossly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though comprising under 4% of the country's people.

These concerning numbers come to light over three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

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

The remaining six deaths happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by 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 "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner has stated.

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."

Demographic Details and Academic Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.