SALEM, Ore., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- An Oregon death row inmate says he is seeking permission from state prison authorities to donate his organs.
Christian Longo, who was sentenced to death for the December 2001 murders of his wife and three young children in Lincoln County, Ore., has set up a Web site in which he advocates for allowing prisoners to choose to donate their organs, The (Salem, Ore.) Statesman-Journal reported Wednesday.
In a memo on the Web site, which was reportedly set up by Longo's brother, the convicted killer writes of the legal barriers involved in allowing inmates to become organ donors, saying: "Anatomical gifts can be made at two stages: a living donation and a donation at death. Both types of donations are vital to provide for survival where there are no other options for those in need of an organ due to the unfortunate shortage in the United States."
Prison officials, however, say they are worried that giving a blanket approval to organ donations may lead some inmates to see it as a way to make money.
"That's a big concern," Jennifer Black, a Corrections Department spokeswoman, told the Statesman-Journal. "We obviously don't want offenders selling their organs."
