Part 2, Chapter 13: The Guards—Summary

Commanders, jailers and guards were at the top of the camp hierarchy, but they didn't live in a world entirely separate from the prisoners. Guards and administrators sometimes carried on affairs with prisoners or worked in a black market system together. It was not unusual, as well, for prisoners to eventually become guards and administrators—or for administrators and guards to become prisoners.

With few exceptions, jobs within the camps were not considered desirable or prestigious. Guards often had little or no experience and limited education. The conditions, even for guards, were frequently primitive and difficult, with long hours and a lack of proper clothing and shoes. Incentives were offered to potential employees in order to fill positions at the camps in the far north. When this didn't work, Soviet labor boards simply sent thousands of...