ISTANBUL

More than 60% of young people in prison/detention in eastern Australia are currently made up by Aboriginal children, according to authorities.

"Aboriginal children make up 60% of the youth detention population now. That's a considerable increase, it's amongst the highest number we've ever seen," said Jackie Fitzgerald, executive director of New South Wales state Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, as cited by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"The number of Aboriginal kids in custody is really problematic," Fitzgerald said.

New South Wales, including the country's most populous city Sydney, is Australia’s most populous state.

A total of 234 minors are now detained in detention centers across the state, according to the bureau.

In the last two years, the number of minors in detention centers rose 34%.

The state government tightened the bail law for minors in March.

Now, three-quarters of children on remand in the state are kept detained after their bail was refused.

Fitzgerald said the detention system for juveniles has become "a space for young people waiting for court as opposed to a sanction for an offense."