The family of a woman who died in custody while restrained and in a spit hood say her mental health issues were ignored while in prison.

Selesa Tafaifa was 44 when she died in custody in Townsville on 30 November 2021.

At a pre-inquest hearing in February, barrister Dan O'Gorman, representing Ms Tafaifa's family, said the CCTV footage of her death showed her saying "I can't breathe" four times and pleading for her asthma puffer on six occasions.

This week an inquest into her death began.

On Wednesday her family issued a statement in response to the proceedings.

"In court today, words were spoken about our mother and sister, Selesa Tafaifa, that do not reflect the loving woman we know her to be. She was kind, full of love for everyone around her. This is seen by the outpouring of love we have received from our community and the community that knew her in her final days," they said.

"Mum was living with severe mental illness in the lead up to her death. Corrections Officers interacted with her every day, they must have known about her mental health and her medication for her diagnosis. But her mental health was never addressed in prison. A prison could never have been an adequate space to provide the health care she deserved — the health care that was her most basic human right. We are devastated as she deserved so much more.

"The story that QCS and other institutions and individuals are trying to tell about our mum and sister Selesa — that she was inherently violent — is a false one. The women who were inside with her have left messages at a shrine in the Coroners Court of grief and love, missing Selesa for her humour, care and talent. They called her 'Big Mumma' for a reason."

Ms Tafaifa's family said she was a "caring mum, a grandmother and sister who played her role in our family and community".

"Her friends know her. We, her family, know her. These institutions don't... We are issuing this statement to correct the record, the truth is what our mum deserves from this court — and that includes the truth about who she was. Selesa needed mental health care not to be restrained with mechanical devices and spithoods," the statement read.

"Mum cried out "I can't breathe" four times and "my puffer, my puffer" six times. She couldn't breathe. She died on a cold concrete, empty prison cell, all alone.

"We continue to grieve and our hearts are broken. No human deserves to be treated like our mum was treated."

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.