🔗 Share this article First Nations Deaths in Detention in Australia Hit Highest Level Since 1980 Indigenous detainees represent more than a third of Australia's total prison population. The tally of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since records began in 1980. Fresh figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in custody in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing under 4% of the national population. These disturbing figures come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of proposed changes. Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year. A single death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were male. The other six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them. The main cause of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases. State-by-State Breakdown The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous 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 rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated. In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability." Demographic Details and Academic Reaction The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were awaiting a court sentencing. A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national emergency" that requires "leadership and government action." Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated very little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that was established to address this crisis. "It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she commented. From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.