🔗 Share this article Indigenous Deaths in Detention in the Nation Reach Record Number Since 1980 Indigenous detainees represent over 30% of the country's total prison population. The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its record point since records started in 1980. New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising under 4% of the country's population. These concerning statistics come to light over three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of proposed changes. Breakdown of the Latest Figures Of the 33 Aboriginal 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 prior year. A single death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the deceased were male. The remaining six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them. The primary cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases. Geographic Distribution The 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 each had three deaths. The rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's coroner recently remarked. In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, respect and responsibility." Demographic Information and Expert Reaction The average age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the individuals were awaiting a sentence. A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "national crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action." Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated very little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this issue. "It's infuriating to witness the number of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted. Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.