🔗 Share this article

The tally of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New figures reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

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

These sobering numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

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

The other six deaths happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Details and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the deceased were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, stated very little has improved since the 1991's royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.