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The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has reached its record point since records started in 1980.

New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people remain severely overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, even though comprising under 4% of the national people.

These concerning numbers come to light more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the deceased were male.

The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as when someone dies while police are detaining them.

The main cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's coroner recently said.

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

Demographic Details and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "country-wide crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with bereaved families, stated very little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.