🔗 Share this article First Nations Fatalities in Detention in Australia Reach Record Number Since 1980 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners account for more than a third of the country's incarcerated population. The number of First Nations people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has hit its record point since the beginning of official data began in 1980. New data indicate that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the prior corresponding period. Indigenous Australian people are severely overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing under 4% of the national people. These sobering statistics come to light over three decades after a landmark royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations. Detailed Analysis of the Recent Statistics Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year. A single death was in a juvenile facility, and the vast majority of the individuals were male. The other six deaths happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them. The leading cause of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data found that hanging was the method in eight of the cases. Geographic Distribution The state of New South Wales had 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 growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner has stated. In October, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability." Profile Information and Academic Response The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were awaiting a court sentencing. A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "national crisis" that needs "decisive action and government action." Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with bereaved families, said very little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to tackle this issue. "It's maddening to see the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted. From the time of the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the findings.