An Australian parliamentary committee has found that Aboriginal children are 28 times more likely than non-indigenous youth to be placed in jail.

In a report issued Tuesday, the committee said the incarceration rate of indigenous Australians has only grown worse in the 20 years since a landmark study on the death rate of Aborigines in custody. It called the situation a “national crisis.”

The panel says Aborigines make up just 2.5 percent of the country's 22 million citizens, yet they account for a quarter of Australia's prison population. Young Aborigines make up 59 percent of inmates in Australia's juvenile detention system, while incarceration rates for Aboriginal adults are also high, with men making up 55 percent of the prison population, and women 47 percent.

The committee says governments at all levels have failed to “adequately address the problem.”

The report made 40 wide-ranging recommendations aimed at reducing the numbers of imprisoned indigenous youth, including mentoring programs, better cultural training for police, and increased funding for alcohol and substance abuse programs.

It is also calling for increased Aboriginal representation in parliament, either through quotas or specially dedicated seats.