🔗 Share this article Indigenous Fatalities in Detention in the Nation Hit Record Level Since the Start of 1980 Indigenous detainees account for more than a third of the country's incarcerated inmates. The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has climbed to its highest point since official data began in 1980. New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the national population. These disturbing numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes. 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 prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year. One death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men. The other six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them. The main cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths. Geographic Distribution The Australian 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 all recorded three deaths. The increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has stated. In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility." Demographic Information and Expert Response The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing. A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that needs "leadership and government action." Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to tackle this issue. "It's heartbreaking to see the number of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she noted. Since the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.