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The tally of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since official data began in 1980.

Recently released data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the country's population.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures

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

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

The other six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The main cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the cases.

Geographic Distribution

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

The growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently said.

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

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's maddening to see the number of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

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