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The count of Indigenous people losing their lives while in detention in Australia has hit its record point since records began in 1980.

New figures show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly represented in the criminal justice system. They make up more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's people.

These sobering figures emerge over three decades after a landmark royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the previous year.

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

The remaining six deaths took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are detaining them.

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

Geographic Distribution

The Australian state of New South Wales had the greatest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by 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 "profoundly distressing reality," the state's coroner has said.

In October, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and responsibility."

Profile 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 associate professor, Amanda Porter, described the data as representing a "national emergency" that needs "decisive action and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several official inquiries with grieving families, stated very little has changed since the 1991's royal commission that was established to tackle this crisis.

"It's infuriating to witness the number of investigations I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly more severe," she noted.

Since the royal commission, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have died in detention, which includes six in youth detention, according to the report.