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

Fresh statistics show that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an rise from 24 deaths in the preceding equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain grossly represented in the justice system. They make up over 33% of all prisoners, despite comprising under 4% of the country's population.

These sobering numbers come to light over three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Latest Statistics

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 previous year.

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

The other six deaths took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The leading reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The report noted that asphyxiation was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded 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 growing number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing reality," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "thorough and careful scrutiny, respect and responsibility."

Profile Details and Expert Reaction

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

A university expert, Amanda Porter, described the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "decisive action and political action."

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

"It's infuriating to see the quantity of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the royal commission, and the situation is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, according to the report.