A new report by the Australian Institute of Criminology reveals that 33 Indigenous people died in custody in 2024-25, the highest since 1980. In total, there were 113 deaths in custody last year, including 90 in prisons and 22 in police custody. The deaths continue a grim trend with a total of 617 Indigenous deaths since 1991, after the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. Natasha Ugle, widow of Wayne Ugle who died in Hakea Prison in 2023, said, "Nothing has changed. We go and we do all these rallies, we do all these marches, we stand up there, we speak for our people, we try and get change and ask for change but nothing happens." Melbourne’s Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service CEO, Nerita Waight, called the deaths "preventable" and blamed "racist policing practices and harmful systems built on oppression." The report shows that 29% of prison deaths were Indigenous—a figure exceeding the 40-year average. Over half of Indigenous deaths in prison were due to self-harm, with hanging being common particularly among those on remand. Federal Attorney General Michelle Rowland condemned the presence of hanging points in cells as "unacceptable." Advocates like Megan Krakouer say these deaths reflect governments failing to provide culturally appropriate support. Natasha Ugle lamented, "No one listens and no one cares. Something really needs to be changed because we are still getting deaths, after deaths, after deaths." Support is available for Indigenous Australians through helplines including 13YARN, Lifeline, Mensline, and Beyond Blue.