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The count of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of official data started in 1980.

Fresh figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the year leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the preceding corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain severely 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 country's people.

These sobering figures come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were male.

The remaining six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The leading reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The report noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

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

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

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

Profile Information and Academic Reaction

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

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.