▁and ▁was ▁commonly ▁called ▁" pr ison er ▁self - g overn ment " ▁in ▁SS ▁parl ance . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁Heinrich ▁Him ml er , ▁then ▁SS - O berg ru ppen führ er , ▁through ▁his ▁concentration ▁camp ▁inspect or , ▁The odor ▁E ic ke , ▁issued ▁a ▁written ▁order ▁detail ing ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁certain ▁inf ra ctions . ▁The ▁order ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁SS ▁guard ▁had ▁to ▁shoot ▁— ▁without ▁ver bal ▁or ▁other ▁warning ▁— ▁any ▁prisoner ▁who ▁tried ▁to ▁escape ▁or ▁eng age ▁in ▁resistance . ▁Fail ure ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁put ▁the ▁guard ▁at ▁risk ▁of ▁immediate ▁dismiss al ▁or ▁being ▁turned ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁Gest ap o ▁himself . ▁ ▁The ▁camp ▁rules , ▁constant ▁threat ▁of ▁beat ings , ▁hum ili ation , ▁pun ishment ▁and ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁pun ishing ▁whole ▁groups ▁for ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁one ▁prisoner ▁were ▁psych ological ▁and ▁physical ▁tor ments ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁star v ation , ▁and ▁physical ▁exhaust ion ▁from ▁back - bre aking ▁labor . ▁Pr ison er ▁function aries ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁push ▁the ▁prisoners ▁to ▁work ▁harder , ▁saving ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁paid ▁SS ▁super vision . ▁Many ▁kap os ▁felt ▁caught ▁in ▁the ▁middle , ▁being ▁both ▁victim ▁and ▁perpet r ator . ▁Though ▁kap os ▁generally ▁had ▁a ▁bad ▁reputation , ▁many ▁suffered ▁gu ilt ▁about ▁their ▁actions , ▁both ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁as ▁revealed ▁in ▁a