Kapos were prisoner functionaries at Auschwitz concentration camp. They were given authority over other prisoners and were responsible for carrying out orders from the SS guards. Kapos oversaw work details, enforced discipline among prisoners, and distributed food rations. They had the power to inflict physical punishment on fellow inmates who disobeyed or failed to perform their duties satisfactorily. This was a source of considerable abuse of power and brutality by some kapos against those under their command. Ultimately, kapos played an important role in maintaining order within Auschwitz’s hierarchy of prisoners.