Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia and Thirrili have called for urgent action to end deaths in custody.

The organisations cited the death of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi White, who died in police custody after being forcibly restrained by two non-uniformed officers in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in May, and noted that more than 600 First Nations people have died in custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody brought down its findings in 1991.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, 24 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples died in custody in 2023-2024; the highest number recorded since 2000-2001.

Despite a Closing the Gap target to reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults held in incarceration by at least 15 per cent, the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prison population has increased by 21 per cent since 2019, while imprisonment of non-Indigenous people has been slowly declining.

Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia and Thirrili noted in a joint statement on Wednesday that in 2024, four out of every 100 Aboriginal adults in Western Australia were incarcerated.

The organisations cited the recent coronial findings into the 2019 death of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker, specifically that Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage found the officer who shot Mr Walker was racist and that it was not possible to rule out that his racist attitudes contributed to the fatal shooting.

Gayaa Dhuwi is the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention. Thirrili, a proud Indigenous organisation, aims to build a society in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities are thriving and flourishing for future generations to be free from the traumatic impacts of suicide.

Interim Thirrili chief executive Tanja Hirvonen said: "Each death in custody is a deep wound carried not only by their family, but by our entire community."

"At Thirrili, we stand in solidarity with those grieving, and we continue to call for urgent, systemic change to ensure our people are no longer overrepresented in these devastating statistics," she said.

"Our work at Thirrili is firmly grounded in cultural strength, compassion, and community leadership, and we remain steadfast in walking alongside families to support and advocate, and hope for a future where these injustices no longer occur."

Gayaa Dhuwi CEO Rachel Fishlock said the "ongoing loss of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives in custody is a national tragedy and a failure of justice".

"These deaths are not isolated events – they are the consequence of deeply embedded systemic issues that continue to harm our people, their families, and communities," she said.

"At Gayaa Dhuwi, our goal is to transform Australia's mental health system, so it is culturally safe, responsive, and grounded in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership. True change requires that our voices are not only heard but lead the way.

"For our people, mental health, social and emotional wellbeing, disability, and justice are not separate issues – they are deeply connected, and we experience these together, not in silos. A 1 system-wide approach is desperately needed if we are ever going to close the gap for our peoples".

13 YARN (139276) – a dedicated support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Brother to Brother crisis line (1800 435 799) – providing support for men

Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) – for young people in need of support