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The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its peak point since official data began in 1980.

Recently released statistics indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period.

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

These concerning statistics emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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

One death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The remaining six deaths took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The data found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest number of Indigenous 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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's coroner has remarked.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "national emergency" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to see the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.