Abstract
This report covers deaths which occurred while people were in the custody of Australia's police, prisons and juvenile justice authorities during 1996. It also includes deaths which have occurred during custody-related police operations. During this twelve month period 80 deaths in custody were reported throughout Australia. The deaths comprised 15 Aboriginal people and 63 non-Aboriginal people. Fifty-two of the deaths occurred in prison custody while 27 deaths occurred in police custody or in custody-related police operations.