🔗 Share this article

The count of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since records started in 1980.

Fresh data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the national people.

These concerning figures come to light over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Statistics

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

A single death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were male.

The remaining six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

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

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the highest 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 rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner recently said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Demographic Details and Expert Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national emergency" that requires "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to address this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, according to the report.