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The count of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

New data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the national people.

These disturbing numbers emerge over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase 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 fatalities took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

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

Geographic Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales had the greatest 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 increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

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

Demographic Information and Academic Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "country-wide crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said very little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this crisis.

"It's maddening to see the number of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the findings.