🔗 Share this article Indigenous Deaths in Detention in Australia Hit Record Number Since 1980 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander detainees represent more than a third of the country's total prison population. The number of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has hit its peak point since official data began in 1980. New statistics reveal that 33 of the 113 individuals who passed away in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June have been identified as Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the prior equivalent period. Indigenous Australian people are grossly represented in the justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the national people. These sobering numbers come to light over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes. Breakdown of the Latest Statistics Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 took place while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year. A single death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were male. The remaining six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them. The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report found that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths. Geographic Breakdown The state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths. The rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's coroner recently remarked. In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, dignity 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, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that requires "leadership and political action." Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to tackle this issue. "It's heartbreaking to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the situation is getting progressively more severe," she commented. From the time of the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.