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The tally of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its peak point since official data started in 1980.

New statistics reveal that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, even though comprising under 4% of the country's people.

These disturbing statistics emerge over three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures

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

One death was in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were male.

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

The leading cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "natural causes." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then 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 New South Wales is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner has said.

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

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were still waiting for a court sentencing.

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this issue.

"It's maddening 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 inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.