The Guard's Role In Prison

The most obvious answer to that question would be that the guards were responsible for running the camps, arguably though it was a complex relationship between the guards and certain inmate groups. The role of the guard was to ensure that no prisoners escaped, track the different inmates and ensure that quota’s were being made. Additionally, the guards were represented as following one ideal; the socialist ideal, likely under the impression that their work was contributing to society and the economic development sought by Stalin, most likely reinforced through the use of propaganda. Additionally, although one could hold the position of guard it didn’t provide them with immunity from the greater state paranoia at play. The role of the guard
One might argue that likely due to their past it is possible for them to have been exposed to the lifestyle of the work camps or prison life making them better able to adapt to the conditions because they understood how to work the system, a disadvantage that those serving their term as political prisoners had. The urka class were usually tasked with overseeing the other inmates, often treating the lives of their fellow inmates with callous disregard, no better than the guards themselves. Another note to make is that, although the conditions in the camp were less than ideal the rate of suicide amongst inmates was rare, or incidentally it wasn’t as reported, likely due to the circumstances with which the death would occur. In addition to this,there are not as many records regarding suicide but it’s said that most survivors have a story on the matter. Suicide itself was very rare among the criminals in the camps and more common among the counter-revolutionaries mainly the men and the intellectuals. This would tie back to the notion that because they were not previously exposed to such environments their time in the camps acted as a form of shock or trauma that their system couldn’t handle, it’s said that men would sometimes walk into the boundary zone so they could be shot by the guards. The circumstance would argue that it wasn’t suicide by a formal definition however, considering the time and the conditions it’s possible to argue otherwise. Additionally, the Soviet mindset regarding suicide implies that it’s a sign of guilt, one could interpret this by arguing that if the individual was not guilty then they would prove themself and carry their sentence, however, should the individual be guilty then this would be an easier way to die without formally admitting guilt, regardless of whether or not they were innocent. All things