🔗 Share this article First Nations Fatalities in Detention in Australia Reach Record Level Since the Start of 1980 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represent more than a third of the country's total prison population. The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has climbed to its peak point since official data started in 1980. New figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period. Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the country's people. These disturbing statistics come to light more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes. Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year. One death was in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men. The other six deaths happened in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them. The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths. State-by-State Distribution The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by 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 "deeply distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has stated. In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, dignity and accountability." Demographic Information and Expert Reaction The average age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing. A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and political action." Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, stated little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this issue. "It's maddening to see the number of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted. Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.