Aboriginal Deaths in Detention in Australia Climb to Highest Number Since 1980

The tally of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its record point since records started in 1980.

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national people.

These sobering figures emerge more than three decades after a pivotal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were male.

The remaining six deaths took place in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest number of Aboriginal 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 growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to see the number of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.