Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press; 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 - Sunday, August 24, 1997; 6:12 p.m. EDT
Michael Pearson, Associated Press Writer
A federal lawsuit filed by the 28-year-old parolee says that's what he got when he contracted the AIDS virus during repeated rapes in prison. The case goes to trial Monday.
Blucker, who is seeking unspecified damages, contends a prison gang forced him into sexual slavery and authorities did nothing to help him.
He was escorted from cell to cell, where he was forced to have sex in exchange for valuables -- sometimes just a pack of cigarettes -- that later went to a prison gang leader, the lawsuit says.
Blucker, who now lives with his wife in suburban Chicago, was sentenced to prison in 1992.
He says he repeatedly told prison officials at the Menard Correctional Center in Chester of the alleged rapes, to no avail. And he argues the state policy allowing HIV-positive inmates to live in the general population put him at risk.
While declining to give specifics, Corrections spokesman Nic Howell said prison officials doubt Blucker's rape story and think he contracted the virus during consensual sex -- perhaps before he entered prison. They also say prison workers educate inmates on the threat of HIV.
Blucker entered Menard on May 5, 1993. The lawsuit said Blucker's HIV test at Menard on June 10, 1993, was negative but another taken on March 29, 1994, was positive.
There are no widely accepted estimates on the number of rapes in prison, but Blucker's supporters say it is far higher than prison officials acknowledge.
"We're not asking coddling," said Don Collins, president of the Los Angeles-based advocacy group Stop Prisoner Rape. "We're asking keep him safe."
Jenni Gainsborough, a spokeswoman for the National Prison Project run by the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, said she is unaware of any other case in which an inmate tried to prove he contracted HIV in prison.
State Rep. Cal Skinner has tried unsuccessfully to pass legislation requiring segregation of HIV-positive inmates and greater protection for victims of prison sex assault.
"He is not a winner," Skinner said of Blucker. "But there's nothing he has done that merits a death sentence, and yet that's what he's received."
Copyright 1997/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
970824
AP970811
Copyright © 1997 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .