A former inmate at Minnesota’s only female prison joined Liz Collin on her podcast to talk about what’s really happening inside the Women’s Correctional Facility in Shakopee with its controversial transgender policy allowing biological men to serve behind bars alongside women.
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Rebeca Warmbo served time in the Shakopee women’s prison for drugs and robbery. Since then, she’s become a published author and dedicated herself to prison ministry and helping other women behind bars.
But in doing her good work, Warmbo has had to deal with an almost unbelievable situation; that is, men are being housed inside Shakopee—Minnesota’s only prison for women.
Given her experience and perspective, Warmbo did not mince words when speaking about the situation.
“I think biological men are finding a way out of prison because they’re pedophiles and murderers and when you’re a pedophile in a men’s prison, you get beat up. So, they found a way to get into a women’s prison where it’s easier,” Warmbo said.
Warmbo further explained that, “They have their male parts. Some aren’t taking hormones. They have beards and mustaches. They flash the women, they act like men, cat call women. They talked about having a million dollar baby. They collect semen in cups and are trying to get the younger women pregnant. So, I wouldn’t consider them transgender people.”
Alpha News has exposed the controversial policy changes at the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC)—specifically a 10-page trans inmate policy issued in January 2023—that created this situation. A DOC employee quit after male inmates were allowed in the women’s prison.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his administration were also behind the payments of nearly half a million dollars to settle the Christina Lusk case. Lusk, a transgender woman (also known as Craig Steven Lusk) sued the Minnesota DOC for access to so-called gender-affirming care. The settlement was paid for by Minnesota taxpayers.
In another case, the DOC would not say whether taxpayers paid for a male inmate’s hormone therapy or breast implants. The inmate, Marco Quinton Hanlon, was sentenced for a felony first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving the molestation of his five-year-old cousin.
Taxpayer Tits https://t.co/tB6jiwvd1d
— 🇺🇸Mary🇺🇸 (@RepMaryFranson) May 8, 2025
Emails from inmates in Shakopee
During the interview, Warmbo shared emails from inmate Bradley Sirvio, who is serving a life sentence for murder. Warmbo also shared that she has been in contact with Nathan Johnson, who is on supervised release.
Warmbo pointed out that Johnson “was the only person that was sent over there [to Shakopee] that doesn’t have a pedophile crime or a murder crime.”
Warmbo further explained how she believes it is relatively easy for dangerous, male criminals to transfer to the women’s prison.
In discussing Sirvio’s case, Warmbo said, “I asked questions … like how’d you become transgender? He said to get into the prison, he had to talk to the transgender committee and request it and wait to get approved.”
Warmbo points to records that show Sirvio hit two corrections officers (COs) with a pool cue and was then sent to federal prison.
“This is a man who is deemed safe to be in with women?” Warmbo asked.
“He [Sirvio] was sent to a supermax prison for beating up two COs. Since then, he’s been in and out of seg and been in trouble. He says in his email, ‘I have some anger issues after coming back from Florida.’ And he said he’s been pretty good for the past four or five years only. That’s the timeframe right around Christina Lusk when he realized he was transgender,” Warmbo said.
Prison is scary enough, but now women are even more scared
Warmbo also related how women inmates have been afraid and traumatized.
“You shouldn’t have to go there and be traumatized worse, harassed sexually, and feel in fear for your life at every second,” Warmbo said.
Alpha News reported on the trauma—even renowned author JK Rowling took note.
If what this women describes doesn't constitute cruel and inhuman punishment, I don't know what does.https://t.co/r3NMik8Es2
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 22, 2025
Warmbo explained even more details during her interview with Collin: “These women have to shower in this down the same hall with these men. They don’t have special hallways or locks. You can’t lock the door. So they have to go in there and shower knowing that the man could walk in there at any time. And some of the men will stand outside to shower and wait for them when they come out and say stuff to them.”
She also explained how inmates are exploiting the system and the circumstances.
In talking about the men in Minnesota’s only prison for women, Warmbo said, “They were collecting semen in cups and they were collecting them to give them put them in a cup and trying to give it to a younger girl so she could impregnate herself because in prison they call it a million dollar baby and they’re trying to get somebody to be pregnant so they can sue for a million dollars. That’s the whole plan. That’s what this whole thing has been all about. It’s all about money and they know that they’re going to get it because people have been winning lawsuits and they’re going to get out, they’re going to file lawsuits. They have lawyers and everything. And it’s just, it’s a sickness, you know.”
