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The tally of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its peak point since official data began in 1980.

New figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing under 4% of the national population.

These sobering numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred 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 individuals were male.

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

The primary cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The report noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal 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 reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

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

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's maddening to see the number of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.