<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NSW State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan has made a rare public statement after confirming the state recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody in a single year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She revealed 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died in custody so far this year — a figure she said was a "profoundly distressing milestone".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These are not mere statistics," she said in a statement today.</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/missing-boy-gus-lamont-update-day-two-of-new-search-as-hot-weather-may-hamper-efforts-tomorrow/c051a827-397f-41d6-9189-4847dd042556" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Renewed search for missing boy Gus to be 'restricted' by extreme heat</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Each of these deaths represents a person whose life mattered and whose loss is felt deeply by families, loved ones and communities across the state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They are individuals whose deaths demand independent and careful scrutiny, respect and accountability."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Aboriginal Legal Service said it was a "horrifying record", adding that an additional four Indigenous people have died in police operations.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-state-coroner-teresa-osullivan-makes-rare-public-statement-on-profoundly-distressing-milestone-of-indigenous-deaths-in-custody/b20d302c-688e-47ab-a72e-b6a7d22285e0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is a crisis and a preventable tragedy that should deeply alarm everyone in NSW," Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT chief executive Karly Warner said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A prison sentence should not be a death sentence."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up only 3.4 per cent of the NSW population, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research found Aboriginal adults represent 33.4 per cent of the total adult prison population, and Aboriginal youth account for 60 per cent of the youth detention population as of June.</span></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/new-australian-bureau-of-statistics-figures-show-australians-are-delaying-parenthood/26b0427b-9651-419c-a7d5-e2a034bf3d96" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>New figures show Australians are waiting longer to have children</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Sullivan said the number of Aboriginal people in custody has increased by 18.9 per cent over the past five years, while the number of non-Aboriginal people in custody has decreased by 12.5 per cent in that same time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She added that 45.6 per cent of the Aboriginal adults in custody were on remand or refused bail awaiting court, which was an increase of 63 per cent in the same five-year period. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These figures reflect the entrenched over-representation of First Nations peoples in the criminal justice system – a systemic issue that compounds the risks and vulnerabilities contributing to the rising number of deaths in custody," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Warner attributed the rise to punitive laws and policing practices and called on the state government to work with Indigenous communities to implement real solutions to reduce imprisonment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Prisons are dangerous places," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Aboriginal Legal Service has represented families of people who died behind bars of simple and treatable health conditions, and people whose deaths involved hanging points that should have been removed long ago.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have solutions to reduce deaths in custody, but too many are sitting on the shelf, gathering dust."</span></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/triple-zero-power-outage-victoria-under-investigation/f2105778-45e9-4fca-9967-50a8da7b2f5b" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Union hits out at triple zero outage amid 'delays' to new system</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The NSW government said it takes Indigenous deaths in custody seriously.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are working to reduce all preventable deaths in custody, including by improving design and safety across correctional centres, and have invested $16 million to make our prisons safer by removing ligature points," a NSW government spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are prioritising community safety while working with communities to reduce crime, the drivers of crime and towards our Closing the Gap targets regarding Indigenous incarceration."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An external review of Indigenous deaths in custody is underway and is set to make recommendations to Corrective Services next year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Sullivan — who was appointed as the second woman to lead the Coroners' Court in 2019 and described as being "passionate about reducing the number of preventable deaths in NSW" — said she will continue to investigate every death in custody "independently and thoroughly".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Inquests will be conducted with impartiality, transparency and cultural sensitivity, ensuring that the voices of affected families and communities are heard and respected," she said.</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"><strong><span>Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.</span></strong></div></div>