New data released by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) shows 33 of the 113 deaths in custody recorded in 2024–25 were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – the largest number of Indigenous deaths in custody since 1979–80.
The AIC report covers deaths in prison custody, police custody and custody-related operations, and youth detention. In 2024–25, it recorded 90 deaths in prison custody, 22 in police custody and custody-related operations, and one death in youth detention.
The report shows there were six Indigenous deaths in police custody and custody-related operations in 2024–25. In prison custody, the report notes that manner-of-death information was available for 19 of the 26 Indigenous deaths in prison custody during the year.
The AIC said 58% of Indigenous deaths in prison custody in 2024–25 were of sentenced prisoners (15), while 42% were of unsentenced prisoners (11).
For the 19 Indigenous prison deaths where manner-of-death information was available at the time of reporting, the most frequently recorded manner was self-inflicted (10), followed by natural causes (8). The AIC also reported eight self-inflicted deaths in 2024–25 were due to hanging and related complications.
The data lands as the national prison population hits new highs. The ABS says that at 30 June 2025 there were 46,998 adult prisoners in Australia, including 17,432 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners (37% of all prisoners).
For broader context, the ABS estimates there were 983,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at 30 June 2021, representing 3.8% of Australia’s total population.
“The National Deaths in Custody Program (NDICP) continues to serve an important role in providing crucial insight into the nature of deaths occurring within custody Australia-wide,” said AIC Deputy Director Dr Rick Brown.
Discover more from Indigenous News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
