During the 12 months to December 31, 1994, a total of 80 deaths in custody were reported throughout Australia. Fifty-three of these deaths occurred in prison custody, and 26 deaths occurred in police custody or in custody-related police operations. One death was reported to have occurred in the custody of the juvenile justice authorities during 1994. Nine women were among the 80 deaths. As in previous years, Aboriginal people were overrepresented in the number of custodial deaths compared with the number of Aboriginal people in the community. The ages of those who died ranged from 18 to 69 years, averaging 34 years. The number of deaths during 1994 was higher than the number reported in any of the previous four calendar years. This increase has occurred entirely among Aboriginal people in prison custody. These findings suggest that key recommendations of the Royal Commission concerned with minimizing the number of people held in prison and providing a high quality of care for those in prison are either not being fully implemented or, when they are, are not operating effectively. There is a need for stronger action by all governments in implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission. 12 tables, 8 references and appended supplementary information