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The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has climbed to its peak point since records began in 1980.

Fresh figures reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the year leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an rise from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly overrepresented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These disturbing figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

One death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were men.

The remaining six deaths took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

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 all recorded three deaths.

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently remarked.

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

Demographic Details and Academic Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were awaiting a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to see the number of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.