🔗 Share this article

The tally of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since official data began in 1980.

Recently released figures show that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's people.

These sobering statistics come to light more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown 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 increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the deceased were men.

The remaining six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded 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 all recorded three deaths.

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's coroner has remarked.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.