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The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has reached its peak point since official data began in 1980.

Fresh figures show that 33 of the 113 people who died in detention in the 12-month period ending in June have been identified as Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain grossly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These disturbing numbers come to light over three decades after a pivotal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Detailed Analysis of the Latest Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

One death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the individuals were men.

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

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

Geographic Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The increasing 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 emphasised that this upward trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Profile Details and Academic Reaction

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

A criminal law associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "national crisis" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at multiple coronial inquests with bereaved families, said little has changed since the 1991's national inquiry that was established to address this issue.

"It's infuriating to see the number of investigations I attend, the many funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting progressively worse," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 First Nations people have lost their lives in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.