Aboriginal Fatalities in Custody in Australia Hit Highest Level Since 1980

The tally of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its peak point since official data started in 1980.

New figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous 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 was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were men.

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

The main cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the highest number of Aboriginal 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 growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the deceased were still waiting for a sentence.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "country-wide crisis" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated very little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.