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The tally of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has climbed to its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Recently released data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the year leading up to June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely represented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing under 4% of the national population.

These disturbing numbers come to light more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were male.

The other six deaths happened 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-inflicted," with "natural causes." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

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 First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

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

Profile Details and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "national emergency" that requires "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.