A document written by a former inmate at Wandoo Rehabilitation prison alleges an Aboriginal woman who died in custody shortly before Christmas was "mistreated" by staff and the "tragedy could have ended differently" if prisoners at the facility "didn't suffer from neglect", the West Australian reported Tuesday.

Dannielle Lowe, 41, died in Fiona Stanley hospital in the south of Perth after experiencing an unspecified medical episode at Wandoo.

On 4 January Guardian Australia revealed that Ms Lowe's partner, Carrum Mourambine said his partner had told him she had been experiencing "massive migraines".

He said Ms Lowe told him that when she alerted prison staff to the pain she was given Panadol, but he said they took no further action.

"She rang up crying sometimes because she just couldn't take the pain," Mourambine told The Guardian.

Mr Mourambine said Ms Lowe had called him on the day of her death, as she did every morning. Later that day the prison called him and told him his partner was unresponsive and had been taken to hospital. She died three days later.

On Tuesday, 17 January, The West Australian published extracts from a document compiled by former Wandoo inmate Karlee Betts, in which Ms Betts said Ms Lowe had been "sick for months" — including "coughing up blood" — and had "constantly expressed her concern to staff" but was denied Panadol "multiple times".

The document also says Ms Lowe developed an "extreme migraine" two weeks before her death and expressed concern she was not being taken seriously, and said she had repeatedly been told "it was all in her head".

The West reports that the document alleges on the morning of 21 December Ms Lowe was still suffering from the migraine but was working in the administration block when she suddenly dropped the vacuum she was using, and was allegedly given Panadol and sent away.

Ms Betts wrote that other women in Ms Lowe's unit "heard a horrific scream" and alerted staff, and Ms Lowe was allegedly found unconscious in her cell then taken by ambulance was to Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Ms Betts said all Wandoo inmates and staff were called to a meeting on 22 December and told Ms Lowe "was in ICU in a serious condition" and her life support would be turned off once family had visited.

Prisoners shared a letter with counsellors on 23 December that was addressed to some of Wandoo's staff and subsequently provided to The West Australian, in which detainees said they felt "unsafe, angry, hurt, lost disgust, shock, fear, despair and now grief when you consistently and frequently show behaviours that are in line with individuals who disdain addicts by neglecting our basic medicals needs and ignoring our cries of physical and emotional pain".

"This is us communicating our thoughts, feelings and boundaries in the most healthy and assertive manner, so that we as a community, alongside you, can grow from this and move forward," the letter said.

Ms Betts, who was released from Wandoo on 6 January, told The West she was motivated to compile a dossier about Ms Lowe's death in an attempt to avoid a similar incident in the future.

"We believe we are looked at like we are still drug addicts and because of this we are neglected the proper medical care we are needed," the document states.

"Just because we all have a past of AOD use, that does not mean we are seeking pain relief for any other reason but that we are in pain… if Danielle's concerns and the things she said was taken seriously then maybe things could have been different."

The document states that the tragedy "could have ended differently if the residents at Wandoo didn't suffer from neglect by (staff), we are meant to be able to trust. . . with our health".

A spokesperson for the Western Australian Department of Justice told National Indigenous Times the Department provides "primary health care to all WA prisoners, delivered by registered health professionals at a standard comparable to what is available in the community".

"Heath Centres in all custodial facilities are fully accredited under the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Standards for Health Services in Australian Prisons," he said.

"As the Wandoo matter is now subject to a Coronial investigation and inquest within the jurisdiction of the State Coroner it is not appropriate for the Department to comment on untested allegations."