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The tally of First Nations people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its peak point since the beginning of records began in 1980.

New statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are grossly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the national population.

These disturbing statistics come to light over three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 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 fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Indigenous 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 rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing milestone," 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 examination, respect and accountability."

Demographic Details and Academic Response

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as representing a "country-wide crisis" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with grieving families, said very little has improved since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to tackle this crisis.

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

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