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The tally of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since the beginning of official data began in 1980.

Fresh data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the year ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an increase from 24 deaths in the prior corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning numbers emerge more than three decades after a pivotal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred 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 fatalities took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are detaining them.

The main cause of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The report noted that hanging was the method in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, then 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 this state is a "deeply distressing reality," the state's coroner has said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Profile Information and Expert Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the individuals were awaiting a sentence.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "national emergency" that requires "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she commented.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the report.