Aboriginal Fatalities in Custody in the Nation Climb to Highest Level Since the Start of 1980

The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its record point since the beginning of records began in 1980.

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the national population.

These concerning figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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

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

The remaining six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The report noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

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

The rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that was established to address this issue.

"It's maddening to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.