🔗 Share this article

The count of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Fresh statistics indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

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

These concerning numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

One death was in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were male.

The other six deaths happened in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently said.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Details and Academic Response

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.