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The number of Indigenous people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its record point since official data began in 1980.

Fresh data indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the year ending in June have been identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the preceding corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all prisoners, even though representing less than four per cent of the country's population.

These sobering numbers come to light more than three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six took place 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 other six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

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

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales had the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in prison custody with nine, then Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "profoundly distressing tragedy," the state's chief medical examiner has said.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful examination, dignity and responsibility."

Demographic Details and Expert Response

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

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991 national inquiry that aimed to address this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of inquests I attend, the many memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are three decades past the royal commission, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

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.