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The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding 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 comprising less than four per cent of the country's population.

These disturbing figures come to light more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred 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 other six deaths happened in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

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

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous 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 Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and political action."

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

"It's maddening to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.