🔗 Share this article Aboriginal Fatalities in Detention in the Nation Reach Record Level Since the Start of 1980 Indigenous detainees represent more than a third of Australia's total prison population. The count of First Nations people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its record point since the beginning of records started in 1980. Fresh statistics reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the year leading up to June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the preceding corresponding period. Indigenous Australian people are severely represented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the national population. These concerning statistics come to light over three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations. Breakdown of the Latest Statistics Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year. A single death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were male. The remaining six deaths took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them. The primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases. Geographic Breakdown The Australian state of New South Wales recorded 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 Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has said. In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, dignity and responsibility." Demographic Information and Academic Response The average age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing. A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "national emergency" that needs "leadership and political action." Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to tackle this issue. "It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted. Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.