Overview

• State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan called the toll a “profoundly distressing milestone” and said every death requires independent, careful scrutiny.
• NSW has recorded 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody in 2025, the highest single-year total recorded for any state.
• BOCSAR data show the number of Aboriginal people in custody rose 18.9% over five years as the non‑Aboriginal prison population fell by about 12%.
• As of June 2025, 4,386 Aboriginal adults were in custody, with 45.6% on remand and the number on remand up 63% over five years.
• The NSW government cited $16 million to remove ligature points and a review due next year, while legal advocates urged urgent systemic reform.