🔗 Share this article

The count of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since records began in 1980.

Recently released figures reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

A single death was in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

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

The primary reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian 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 each had three deaths.

The increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as representing a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

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

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.