<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Grim new figures have revealed the number of deaths in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/prison" rel="" target="_blank" title="prison"><span>prison</span></a><span> has skyrocketed in one Australian state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) released its Deaths in Custody report for the 2023-2024 financial year and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/queensland" rel="" target="_blank" title="Queensland"><span>Queensland</span></a><span> recorded 19 deaths, the most the state has seen since 1998.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland had the second-most deaths in prison in Australia, while NSW was slightly higher with 20.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/lottery-win-casino-man-picks-million-dollar-weekly-windfall-ticket/403b2e54-dc3e-4ad4-98be-ca20b62d1ab3"><strong><span>Dad's shock next move after becoming an overnight millionaire</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Of these deaths in Queensland, five people were </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/indigenous" rel="" target="_blank" title="Indigenous"><span>Indigenous</span></a><span> and 14 were non-Indigenous.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Sunshine State also had the highest number of people die in police custody in Australia, with eight deaths during the period.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The AIC noted most of these deaths were due to police shootings.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-news-deaths-in-prison-and-police-custody-report/5448551f-79be-4c23-9314-924fc1c769c5" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nationally, there were 104 deaths in custody in total: 76 in prison custody and 27 in police custody.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Almost a quarter of all people who died were Indigenous – 24 compared to 80 non-Indigenous deaths. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>First Nations people make up about 3.8 per cent of Australia's population, according to the 2021 Census.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/christmas-market-attack-mum-pays-tribute-to-nineyearold-son-killed-in-christmas-market-attack/ca3c3bf2-4b7a-49d7-b0dd-cdd370eb7a86"><strong><span>Mum's heartbreaking tribute to little boy killed in Christmas attack carnage</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-aviation-charter-rights-questions-refunds-delays-cancellation/a8122fe9-b7fa-4093-89bc-f8cfecd14bdb"><strong><span>Aussies 'squibbed' out of major compensation payouts</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls spokesperson Debbie Kilroy described the report as a reflection of the state's "ongoing failure" to address the issue of deaths in prison and custody.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"With 19 deaths in prison recorded in the 2023-24 financial year – the highest in over two decades – Queensland is reinforcing its reputation as a state more committed to punitive policies than to protecting lives," Kilroy said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These numbers expose a systemic disregard for human life, especially among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who remain disproportionately represented in these statistics."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/"><strong><span>Lifeline 13 11 14</span></strong></a></div></div>