An inquest into the death of 47-year-old Aboriginal woman Tammy Michelle Shipley, who died in custody in 2022, will begin on Monday at the New South Wales State Coroner's Court.

Ms Shipley passed away whilst on remand at Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre on December 20, 2022.

The coroner is expected to hear evidence that the mother of five died of hyponatremia as a result of the excessive consumption of water.

Her mother, Vick Shipley, said her daughter was a mother, a grandmother of two, an aunty and a sister.

"Her kids were so important to her," she said.

"She was the sort of person who if you were in need, would give her last penny, put a roof over your head and give you a bed to sleep in. No matter what."

More than 570 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in prisons, as well as in police operations since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

Ms Shipley's mother said her daughter had experienced significant trauma in her life, and experienced mental health illnesses since she was a teenager.

"I want accountability. I want changes to be made so this doesn't happen to anyone else experiencing mental health issues," she said.

Ms Shipley's family is being represented by the Aboriginal Legal Service at the inquest.

It is expected the inquiry will investigate issues including the adequacy of responses from Campbelltown Community Mental Health in the lead up to Ms Shipley's incarceration, as well as the adequacy of the policies and actions of Corrective Services NSW and Justice Health from the time of Ms Shipley's incarceration until her death.

"We stand with Tammy's family and her community," Nadine Miles, Principal Legal Officer of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited said.

"No one should pass away alone on a cold prison floor, forcibly separated from their loved ones. Yet this has been the reality for too many Aboriginal people."