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

Fresh statistics reveal that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite representing under 4% of the country's population.

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

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

The remaining six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

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

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

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

Profile Details and Expert Response

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that needs "leadership and government action."

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

"It's heartbreaking to witness the quantity of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she noted.

From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the findings.