First Nations Fatalities in Detention in Australia Climb to Highest Level Since the Start of 1980

The tally of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its record point since official data started in 1980.

New figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an increase from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning figures emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were male.

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

The leading cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "natural causes." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest 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 growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has remarked.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."

Demographic Information and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's maddening to see the number of inquests I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she commented.

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