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The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its record point since records started in 1980.

Fresh figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

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

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 took place 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 individuals were men.

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

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The rising number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

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

Profile Details and Academic Response

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated very little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the situation is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.