By Hayley Feland
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – A convicted murderer who is a biological male was transferred to the Shakopee women’s prison this week.
Bradley Richard Sirvio is a convicted murderer who is imprisoned for life. Other convictions include multiple charges of assault, burglary, and theft.
According to court records, while checking himself into a detoxification center, Sirvio “volunteered to a staff member during the intake process that he may have murdered someone named George and then set the house on fire to cover up what he had done.”
The records explain that Sirvio beat the man named George Schlegel, who was 55 years old, to death with a hammer and then set his residence on fire to cover up the murder. Sirvio met Schlegel at a bar in St. Cloud, Minn.
At the time of the murder in 1995, Sirvio was a 24-year-old homeless man. Court records state that he had previously received treatment at the detox center.
When asked about the man’s transfer to the women’s prison, Aaron Swanum with the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) said the agency does not provide details of incarcerated individuals’ transfers prior to their transfer due to “security concerns.”
“Once an individual is transferred, however, that information is available on the DOC’s public website,” Swanum said. As of Thursday afternoon, DOC records indicated that Sirvio had been transferred to the women’s prison in Shakopee.
Swanum said that he is unable to speak specifically to Sirvio’s case. “I can tell you that the DOC updated its transgender policy in January of 2023,” he told Alpha News. “The new policy states that facility placement decisions will be aligned with gender identity unless the placement poses a heightened risk of physical or sexual harm to the person or others housed in the facility or the person is likely to engage in sexually inappropriate behavior.”
He went on to explain that the DOC considers each request from prisoners on a case-by-case basis to determine if “a particular placement would ensure the person’s health and safety, and whether the placement would present a management or security issue.”
“Minnesota has now joined 10 other states and the District of Columbia in approving transfers to facilities matching an inmate’s gender identity. The DOC is committed to providing supportive and safe environments for people of all gender identities and our new policy reflects this commitment,” Swanum said.
This is at least the second known transfer of a biological male to the Shakopee women’s prison in the last seven months. The other individual, known as Christina Lusk, was transferred to the prison and is having his vaginoplasty paid for by the state following a lawsuit.
This article originally appeared at Alpha News and was reprinted with permission.
