First Nations Fatalities in Custody in Australia Hit Highest Number Since 1980

The number of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its peak point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

New figures indicate 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 uptick from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely represented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning figures emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

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

A single death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The remaining six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The data found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

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

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has remarked.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Information and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the individuals were awaiting a sentence.

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

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated very little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

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

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.