The Australian Institute of Criminology's annual report into deaths in custody revealed the nation's overall death rate also increased from 0.15 per 100 prisoners to 0.21 per 100 prisoners in the last year.

The data, released on Monday, showed New South Wales recorded the largest number of deaths in prison custody, while Tasmania recorded two deaths in the last year.

The death rate was highest in Tasmania (0.31 per 100), followed by New South Wales (0.27 per 100) and Victoria (0.27 per 100).

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The median age at time of death for prisoners was 54.5 years, with 80 male prisoners and four female prisoners dying in custody.

Despite only making up 3 per cent of the population, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 32 per cent of the average daily prisoner population in the June quarter 2022.

There were 24 Indigenous deaths, 16 being while in prison custody and 8 in police custody. There were no recorded Indigenous deaths in Tasmania.

The death rate of Indigenous prisoners also increased, from 0.09 per prisoner to 0.12.

Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991 the NDICP has recorded 516 Indigenous deaths in custody, with 335 in prison, 177 in police custody, and four in youth detention.

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Amnesty International Indigenous advisor and Palawa elder Rodney Dillon said the disproportionate amount of Aboriginal deaths in custody indicated the justice system was unable to adequately address the issue.

"They've just turned their back on it, and they're happy for it to go along with the status quo," Mr Dillon said.

He said more of the 339 recommendations from the royal commission should be implemented and an independent body separate from the government established to investigate Indigenous deaths in prison.

"It's not only raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, but we need to address the out of home care and get Indigenous led solutions as well," Mr Dillon said.

"The culture in the prisons, the culture with the police, they're both unacceptable. Because 500 times in 30 years is not good enough".

The AIC said Indigenous people were less likely than non-Indigenous people to die as a proportion of the relevant prisoner population but more likely to die as a proportion of the relevant general population.

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