There are blood drives in the prison parking lot where prison staff are encouraged to donate.  We have a Blood Bank in Sioux Falls not affiliated with the Red Cross.  Inmates aren’t allowed to donate blood nor make organ donations.  The blood banks don’t want their blood because of fear of all kinds of diseases, like hepatitis, that are fairly common among drug users.  The inmates are wards of the State so even if they want to give a kidney to a family member, etc., they are not allowed to do so.

The only organ donations I know about are from an inmate who was brain dead and had a friend as his health care power of attorney.

Mary Montoya