diff --git a/src/org/ohmage/domain/AccessRequest.java b/src/org/ohmage/domain/AccessRequest.java
index 30b9a6fb..8c85fe3d 100644
--- a/src/org/ohmage/domain/AccessRequest.java
+++ b/src/org/ohmage/domain/AccessRequest.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class AccessRequest {
 	private final String username;
 	private final String emailAddress;
 	private final Type requestType;
-	private final String requestContent;
+	private final JSONObject requestContent;
 	private final Status requestStatus;
 	private final DateTime creationTime;
 	private final DateTime lastModifiedTime;
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ public AccessRequest(
 			final String id,
 			final String username, 
 			final String emailAddress,	
-			final String requestContent, 
+			final JSONObject requestContent, 
 			final String requestType,
 			final String status,
 			final DateTime creationTime,
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ public String getEmailAddress(){
 	 * 
 	 * @return the request content.
 	 */
-	public String getContent(){
+	public JSONObject getContent(){
 		return requestContent;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/org/ohmage/query/IAccessRequestQueries.java b/src/org/ohmage/query/IAccessRequestQueries.java
index 6571d557..2dcf3013 100644
--- a/src/org/ohmage/query/IAccessRequestQueries.java
+++ b/src/org/ohmage/query/IAccessRequestQueries.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.json.JSONObject;
 import org.ohmage.domain.AccessRequest;
 import org.ohmage.exception.DataAccessException;
 import org.ohmage.exception.ServiceException;
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ public void createAccessRequest(
 			final String requestId, 
 			final String username, 
 			final String emailAddress, 
-			final String requestContent, 
+			final JSONObject requestContent, 
 			final String requestType,
 			final String requestStatus) throws DataAccessException;
 	
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ List<AccessRequest> getAccessRequests(String requester,
 	 * @throws ServiceException Thrown if there is an error.
 	 */
 	void updateAccessRequest(String requestId, String emailAddress,
-			String requestContent, String requestType, String requestStatus,
+			JSONObject requestContent, String requestType, String requestStatus,
 			Boolean updateUserPrivileges)
 			throws DataAccessException;
 
diff --git a/src/org/ohmage/query/impl/AccessRequestQueries.java b/src/org/ohmage/query/impl/AccessRequestQueries.java
index 2d98eb52..78d20969 100644
--- a/src/org/ohmage/query/impl/AccessRequestQueries.java
+++ b/src/org/ohmage/query/impl/AccessRequestQueries.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.json.JSONException;
+import org.json.JSONObject;
 import org.ohmage.domain.AccessRequest;
 import org.ohmage.exception.DataAccessException;
 import org.ohmage.exception.DomainException;
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ public void createAccessRequest(
 			final String requestId, 
 			final String username, 
 			final String emailAddress, 
-			final String requestContent, 
+			final JSONObject requestContent, 
 			final String requestType,
 			final String requestStatus) throws DataAccessException {
 		
@@ -108,12 +110,12 @@ public void createAccessRequest(
 			// Insert the class.
 			try {
 				getJdbcTemplate().update(SQL_INSERT_REQUEST, 
-						new Object[] { requestId, username, emailAddress, requestType, requestContent, requestStatus} );
+						new Object[] { requestId, username, emailAddress, requestType, requestContent.toString(), requestStatus} );
 			}
 			catch(org.springframework.dao.DataAccessException e) {
 				transactionManager.rollback(status);
 				throw new DataAccessException("Error while executing SQL '" + SQL_INSERT_REQUEST + "' with parameters: " +
-						requestId + ", " + username + ", " + emailAddress + ", " + requestContent + ", " + requestStatus, 
+						requestId + ", " + username + ", " + emailAddress + ", " + requestContent.toString() + ", " + requestStatus, 
 						e);
 			}
 			
@@ -408,11 +410,21 @@ public AccessRequest mapRow(
 								throws SQLException {
 							
 							try {
+								JSONObject requestContent = null;
+								try {
+									requestContent = new JSONObject(rs.getString("content"));
+								}
+								catch (JSONException e) {
+									throw new DomainException(
+											"Error parsing the request content.",
+											e);
+								}
+
 								return new AccessRequest(
 										rs.getString("uuid"),		
 										rs.getString("username"),
 										rs.getString("email_address"),
-										rs.getString("content"),
+										requestContent,
 										rs.getString("type"),
 										rs.getString("status"),
 										new DateTime(rs.getTimestamp("creation_timestamp").getTime()),
@@ -468,7 +480,7 @@ public AccessRequest getAccessRequest(final String requester, String requestId)
 	 * java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String )
 	 */
 	@Override
-	public void updateAccessRequest(String requestId, String emailAddress, String requestContent, 
+	public void updateAccessRequest(String requestId, String emailAddress, JSONObject requestContent, 
 			String requestType, String requestStatus, Boolean updateUserPrivileges)
 		throws DataAccessException {
 
@@ -493,7 +505,7 @@ public void updateAccessRequest(String requestId, String emailAddress, String re
 				firstClause = false;
 			} else 
 				sql.append(", content = ? ");				
-			parameters.add(requestContent);
+			parameters.add(requestContent.toString());
 		}
 
 		if (requestType != null) {
diff --git a/src/org/ohmage/service/AccessRequestServices.java b/src/org/ohmage/service/AccessRequestServices.java
index 4e09040b..55af0453 100644
--- a/src/org/ohmage/service/AccessRequestServices.java
+++ b/src/org/ohmage/service/AccessRequestServices.java
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public void createAccessRequest(
 			
 			// Create a request with pending status
 			userSetupRequestQueries.createAccessRequest(requestId, username, emailAddress, 
-					requestContent.toString(), requestType, defaultStatus);
+					requestContent, requestType, defaultStatus);
 			
 
 		}
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ public void updateAccessRequest(
 			
 			// update the request
 			userSetupRequestQueries.updateAccessRequest(requestId, emailAddress, 
-					(requestContent == null) ? null : requestContent.toString(), 
+					(requestContent == null) ? null : requestContent, 
 					requestType, requestStatus, updateUserPrivileges);
 
 		}