Aboriginal Deaths in Detention in Australia Reach Highest Number Since 1980

The number of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has climbed to its highest point since the beginning of records started in 1980.

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an increase from 24 fatalities in the preceding equivalent period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, even though representing less than four per cent of the national population.

These sobering numbers emerge more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

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

A single death was in a juvenile facility, and all except one of the deceased were male.

The other six deaths happened in police custody, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

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

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the greatest 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 increasing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Demographic Details and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said 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 increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in youth detention, according to the report.