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

New figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, even though representing under 4% of the national population.

These sobering numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous 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 individuals were male.

The other six deaths happened in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The main reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales had the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities 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 has remarked.

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

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that aimed to address this issue.

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

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, as per the report.