The inquest into the 2021 death in custody of 44-year-old Selesa Tafaifa began Monday in Townsville.

Ms Tafaifa died on 30 November 2021 in Townsville Women's Correctional Centre while restrained with a spit hood and cuffs, following an unsuccessful attempt at a phone call from the prison in order to reach her family. She cried out that she could not breathe before becoming unresponsive.

Ms Tafaifa's family traveled from Samoa and Aotearoa/New Zealand to attend the inquest seeking answers and justice.

Her daughter, brother and other young family members have started Pou O Toa, a traditional Ailao Afi & Siva Samoa dance group in her honour, educating communities about their mother's life and honoring her through performance as they travel around Australia.

Ms Tafaifa's family are represented by Kilroy & Callaghan Lawyers.

The National Ban Spit Hoods Coalition includes Sisters Inside and other groups.

The Coalition has long called on the Queensland government to ban spit hoods in law for all people in all settings across the state.

The alliance noted ABC reports out Monday indicating spit hoods are being used once every three days in Queensland prisons.

South Australia outlawed spit hoods in November 2021, the month of Ms Tafaifa's death. Since then, multiple reviews into the use of spit hoods have occurred across the country, with the most recent report released by NT Ombudsman recommending that the government legislates to "preclude future use of spit hoods".

The Australian Federal Police announced an operational ban on spit hoods in May 2023.

Selesa's death and subsequent inquest ignites renewed calls for justice, for accountability for the actions of corrections officers, and for a legislated ban on spit hoods. No other family should experience the type of grief that Selesa's family and others continue to endure.

The inquest is set down for an initial two weeks in the Queensland Coroners Court, with hearings across Townsville and Brisbane.

A Queensland government spokesperson told National Indigenous Times the use of spit hoods was discussed as part of the Standing Council of Attorneys-General (SCAG) last month.

"All states and territories, including Queensland, agreed to review the remaining use of spit hoods in their jurisdictions," they said.