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The count of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the preceding corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the country's people.

These concerning figures come to light more than three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 took place while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

One death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the individuals were male.

The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by 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 said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful examination, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "national emergency" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to see the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.