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The count of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has climbed to its peak point since official data started in 1980.

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite representing under 4% of the country's people.

These sobering figures emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

The remaining six fatalities took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

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

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the highest 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 coroner recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "independent and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Academic Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the individuals were still waiting for a sentence.

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with bereaved families, stated little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the findings.