The 80 deaths included 15 Aboriginal people and 65 non-Aboriginal people. Fifty-two of the deaths occurred in prison custody, 27 deaths ocurred police custody or in custody-related police operations, and the remaining death occurred in juvenile detention. Nine of the 27 deaths in police custody occurred in an institutional setting and the remaining 18 while police were detaining the individuals concerned. The ages of those who died ranged from 13 to 75 years and averaged 36 years. The most frequent cause of death was hanging, followed by illness and injury. Twelve of the deceased were in custody for sex offenses, 11 for robbery, and 10 for homicide. The 80 deaths represented a decline from the 85 1995 and the 81 of both 1994 and 1993. Aboriginal people are heavily overrepresented in custody and custody deaths. Addressing this overrepresentation is a policy issue of the highest order. Figures, tables, and case summaries and comments