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The count of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of records started in 1980.

Fresh figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite representing under 4% of the country's people.

These concerning figures come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

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

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

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

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

The increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner has stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Profile Details and Academic Response

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, stated little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.