🔗 Share this article Indigenous Deaths in Custody in the Nation Reach Record Number Since the Start of 1980 Indigenous prisoners account for more than a third of the country's incarcerated inmates. The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since the beginning of official data began in 1980. New figures show that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the year leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period. Indigenous Australian people remain grossly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, even though representing less than four per cent of the national population. These concerning figures come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations. Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year. One death was in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men. The remaining six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them. The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths. State-by-State Distribution The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths. The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner has said. In October, Magistrate 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 Details and Academic Response The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing. A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "decisive action and political action." Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to tackle this crisis. "It's heartbreaking to see the number of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted. From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in youth detention, according to the report.