Aboriginal deaths in custody hit record high in Australia

The number of Aboriginal deaths in custody in Australia has reached its highest level since records began in 1980.

Latest data from the Australian Institute of Criminology shows that 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12 months to June were Aboriginal, up from 24 in the same period last year.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented in the criminal justice system, making up more than a third of all prisoners, despite making up less than 4 per cent of the country’s population.

The figures follow a landmark inquiry into Aboriginal deaths in custody, which made hundreds of recommendations.

Between July last year and June this year, 33 Aboriginal people died in custody, 26 of whom died in prison custody, up from 18 in the previous 12 months.

One teenager, all but one male, died in custody.

The remaining six Aboriginal deaths in custody occurred in police custody, with someone dying in police custody or attempted detention.

The report found the leading cause of death for Aboriginal people was classified as “self-harm”, followed by “natural causes”. It was determined that eight of the deaths were caused by hanging.

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

The New South Wales coroner recently described the rise in Aboriginal deaths in custody in her state as an “extremely distressing milestone”.

In October, District Judge Teresa O’Sullivan said the rising trend was more than a “statistic” and the death toll required “independent and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability”.

The average age of Aboriginal people who died in custody was 45, and 11 of them were awaiting sentencing.

Amanda Porter, associate professor of criminal law at the University of Melbourne, told the ABC the figures reflected a “national crisis” that required “leadership and political action”.

Ms Porter, who has attended multiple coronial inquests with families, said little had changed since the 1991 royal commission aimed at addressing the crisis.

“It’s maddening to see the number of inquests that I’ve been involved in, the number of funerals that families have had to attend and the fact that 30 years after the royal commission was set up, it’s just getting worse and worse,” she told the ABC.

The report says 600 Aboriginal people have died in custody since the royal commission was established, including six in juvenile detention.