▁system ▁was ▁also ▁designed ▁to ▁turn ▁victim ▁against ▁victim , ▁as ▁the ▁prisoner ▁function aries ▁were ▁p itted ▁against ▁their ▁fellow ▁prisoners ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁favor ▁of ▁their ▁SS ▁gu ards . ▁If ▁they ▁were ▁der el ict , ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁ordinary ▁prisoners ▁and ▁be ▁subject ▁to ▁other ▁prisoner ▁function aries . ▁Many ▁prisoner ▁function aries ▁were ▁rec ru ited ▁from ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁violent ▁criminal ▁gang s ▁rather ▁than ▁from ▁the ▁more ▁numerous ▁political , ▁religious ▁and ▁ra cial ▁prisoners ; ▁those ▁were ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁brut ality ▁toward ▁other ▁prisoners . ▁This ▁brut ality ▁was ▁toler ated ▁by ▁the ▁SS ▁and ▁was ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁camp ▁system . ▁ ▁Pr ison er ▁function aries ▁were ▁sp ared ▁physical ▁ab use ▁and ▁hard ▁labor , ▁provided ▁they ▁performed ▁their ▁duties ▁to ▁the ▁satisfaction ▁of ▁the ▁SS ▁gu ards . ▁They ▁also ▁had ▁access ▁to ▁certain ▁privileges ▁such ▁as ▁civil ian ▁clothes ▁and ▁a ▁private ▁room , ▁even ▁( be ing ▁conv ict s ) ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁reduced ▁sentence ▁or ▁par ole . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁official ▁government ▁term ▁for ▁prisoner ▁function aries ▁was ▁Fun ktion sh äft ling , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁commonly ▁called ▁them ▁kap os . ▁When ▁the ▁cam ps ▁were ▁liber ated , ▁they ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁regular ▁prison ▁system . ▁ ▁System ▁of ▁thr ift ▁and ▁manip ulation ▁Con cent r ation ▁cam ps ▁were ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁SS , ▁but ▁day - to - day