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The number of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its peak point since records started in 1980.

Fresh figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, even though comprising less than four per cent of the country's population.

These disturbing numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

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

One death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were male.

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

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest 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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

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

Profile Details and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "leadership and government action."

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

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

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