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The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has reached its highest point since the beginning of records started in 1980.

Recently released figures show that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These disturbing statistics come to light more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

One death occurred in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the individuals were men.

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 First Nations deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," followed by "illness." The report found that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

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 all recorded three deaths.

The increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in this state is a "deeply distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Details and Expert Response

The mean age of those who died was 45, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to witness the quantity of investigations I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.