Scrutiny of deaths in custody intensified in 2025 as New South Wales recorded its highest annual number of Aboriginal deaths in custody on record, prompting a rare public statement from the State Coroner and renewed calls for reforms to bail and remand. Media reporting and official comments point to an escalating crisis driven by over-representation and a growing remand population.
In late October, the NSW State Coroner described the trend as “profoundly distressing” and pledged transparent, culturally sensitive inquests into each case. Reporting through 2025 documented at least a dozen Aboriginal deaths in custody in NSW, exceeding previous annual highs even before year’s end.
The national picture remains troubling. Since the 1991 Royal Commission, hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in custody. Senate debate in July again drew attention to the toll, with calls for urgent action across jurisdictions to prevent further deaths and to deliver the structural reforms envisaged in the Closing the Gap priority areas.
The Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Deaths in Custody Program continues to publish real-time and quarterly dashboards, collating notifications from police, corrections and youth justice agencies alongside coronial data. The program was established in response to recommendation 41 of the Royal Commission and remains the primary national source for tracking these deaths.
Community-controlled leaders and legal services argue that change requires reducing unnecessary contact with the justice system, particularly for people on remand, and investing in health and social supports that address underlying drivers. Independent reviews of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap reiterate that justice targets are off track and that progress hinges on shared decision-making and resourcing First Nations solutions.
As coronial processes proceed and governments consider next steps, families and communities are asking for more than condolences. They want measurable changes that make custody safer and fewer people in it.
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