Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in Australia Climb to Highest Number Since the Start of 1980

The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its peak point since records started in 1980.

Fresh data indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the preceding corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the national population.

These sobering numbers emerge over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

A single death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were male.

The other six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has remarked.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, 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 government 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 maddening to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.