▁organization ▁was ▁supp lement ed ▁by ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁function ary ▁prisoners , ▁a ▁second ▁hierarchy ▁that ▁made ▁it ▁easier ▁for ▁the ▁Naz is ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁cam ps . ▁These ▁prisoners ▁made ▁it ▁possible ▁for ▁the ▁cam ps ▁to ▁function ▁with ▁fewer ▁SS ▁personnel , ▁which ▁saved ▁the ▁Third ▁Reich ▁money . ▁The ▁prisoner ▁function aries ▁were ▁sometimes ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁in m ates . ▁The ▁Naz is ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁SS ▁personnel ▁who ▁had ▁direct ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁prisoners ▁very ▁low ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁normal ▁pr isons ▁today . ▁Without ▁the ▁function ary ▁prisoners , ▁the ▁SS ▁camp ▁administr ations ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁day - to - day ▁operations ▁of ▁the ▁cam ps ▁running ▁smooth ly . ▁ ▁At ▁Buch en wald , ▁these ▁tasks ▁were ▁originally ▁assigned ▁to ▁criminal ▁prisoners , ▁but ▁after ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁political ▁prisoners ▁began ▁to ▁dis place ▁the ▁criminal ▁prisoners , ▁though ▁crim inals ▁were ▁preferred ▁by ▁the ▁SS . ▁At ▁M auth aus en , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁function ary ▁positions ▁remained ▁domin ated ▁by ▁criminal ▁prisoners ▁until ▁just ▁before ▁liber ation . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁saving ▁the ▁Naz is ▁money , ▁the ▁system ▁and ▁hierarchy ▁also ▁in hib ited ▁solid ar ity ▁among ▁the ▁prisoners . ▁There ▁were ▁t ensions ▁between ▁the ▁various ▁national ities ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁between ▁the ▁various ▁prisoner ▁groups , ▁who ▁were ▁distinguished ▁by ▁different ▁Naz i ▁concentration