Australia is confronting a severe national crisis as Indigenous custodial deaths have surged to unprecedented levels, reaching the highest recorded figure since official tracking began in 1980. According to newly released data from the Australian Institute of Criminology, 113 individuals died in custody during the twelve-month period ending June this year. Among these tragic fatalities, 33 were identified as Indigenous Australians—a significant increase from the 24 documented in the preceding year.
This alarming trend underscores a profound overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within the criminal justice system. Although they constitute less than 4% of the national population, Indigenous individuals account for more than one-third of the country’s total prison population.
The latest statistics arrive more than three decades after the landmark Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, which issued hundreds of recommendations aimed at reforming the system. Despite this, the situation has deteriorated. Of the 33 Indigenous deaths reported, 26 occurred in prison custody—up from 18 the previous year—while one took place in youth detention. The remaining six fatalities happened in police custody. All but one of the deceased were male.
Hanging was the most frequent cause of death, accounting for eight cases, while the majority of fatalities were classified as either self-inflicted or due to natural causes. Geographically, New South Wales recorded the highest number of deaths with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each reported three Indigenous deaths in custody.
Magistrate Teresa O’Sullivan, the NSW state coroner, recently described the escalating numbers as a ‘profoundly distressing milestone,’ emphasizing that these are not ‘mere statistics’ but represent lives that demand ‘independent scrutiny, respect, and accountability.’
The average age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 were awaiting sentencing at the time of their death. Associate Professor Amanda Porter, an expert in criminal law at the University of Melbourne, condemned the figures as evidence of a systemic failure requiring urgent political action. Having attended numerous inquests and funerals, Professor Porter expressed frustration that little has changed since the Royal Commission. In total, more than 600 Indigenous people have died in custody since the inquiry, including six children in youth detention.