CW: Distressing themes
Australia has recorded the highest annual number of Indigenous deaths in custody since records began.
The findings come from the Australian Institute of Criminology’s (AIC) National Deaths in Custody Program, which began tracking deaths in prison, youth detention, and police custody in 1980.
In 2024/25, 113 people died in custody, 33 of whom were First Nations people.
Since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, 617 First Nations people have died in custody.
Deaths
From 1 July 2024 to 30 June 25 year, 113 people died in custody in Australia.
The majority (90) of these deaths occurred in prison — 14 more than 2023/24, and the highest number of deaths in prison since 1979.
Of those who died in prison, 26 were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which is eight more than last year.
Across the year, 22 people died in police custody or during police interactions, six of whom were Indigenous.
AIC reported one young person died in youth detention in 2024/25, bringing the total number of reported underage deaths since 1979/80 to 20. No further details were provided to respect the deceased’s privacy.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Indigenous people made up 37% of the prison population in June 2025.
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At the time of the report, the cause of death was known for 19 of the 26 Indigenous deaths in custody. More than half were reported as suicide.
NSW
In October, NSW Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan revealed that 12 First Nations people had died in the state’s custody since January 2025.
She called the figure a “distressing milestone.” First Nations advocates attributed the statistic to “punitive laws and policing practices”.
In a statement to The Daily Aus, a NSW Government spokesperson said it “takes this issue seriously” and continues to invest in design and safety measures. It said a report into “recurring and emerging themes” from deaths in custody is due next year.
Advocates
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) said the statistics reflect harmful policing practices.
The organisation called on governments to prioritise “putting an end to mass incarceration”.
“State and territory governments are openly pursuing and celebrating policies that throw our people behind bars, all in the name of political point-scoring — and our people are paying the price with their lives,” NATSILS Acting Chair Nerita Waight said.
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