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The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of records started in 1980.

New data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the national population.

These concerning statistics come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous 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, twenty-six took place while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the individuals were men.

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

The primary reason of Indigenous deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the greatest 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 Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has stated.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Profile Details and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the deceased were still waiting for a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, according to the report.