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The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its peak point since official data began in 1980.

Recently released data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the year leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

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

These sobering numbers come to light over three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged 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 deceased were male.

The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest 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 First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner recently said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to address this issue.

"It's maddening to witness the number of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.