🔗 Share this article Indigenous Fatalities in Detention in Australia Hit Record Number Since 1980 Indigenous prisoners account for more than a third of the country's incarcerated inmates. The tally of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its peak point since the beginning of official data started in 1980. Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are severely represented in the justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, even though comprising under 4% of the national population. These concerning figures emerge more than three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of proposed changes. Breakdown of the Recent Figures 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 rise from 18 in the prior year. One death was in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were men. The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them. The leading reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The data noted that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the cases. Geographic Distribution The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest 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 increasing number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's coroner recently remarked. In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability." Profile Information and Expert Reaction The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a sentence. A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the figures as representing a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and government action." Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated very little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis. "It's infuriating to see the number of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years after the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively worse," she commented. Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.