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The tally of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since records started in 1980.

Recently released figures reveal that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the year leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising under 4% of the country's people.

These sobering figures come to light more than three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Detailed Analysis of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

One death was in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were male.

The remaining six fatalities happened in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-inflicted," with "illness." The report noted that hanging was the method in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Aboriginal deaths in prison custody 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 "deeply distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently stated.

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

Demographic Details and Expert 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, described the figures as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that aimed to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades past the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in custody, which encompasses six in youth detention, according to the report.