[jester]

I doubt the few POWs who do make it to N. America will be left to rot like Andersonvil ala the Civil War, some could suffer due to neglect just due to a lack of basic which will be felt by all in society. I don't think the harm brought by civilians will be as greatly felt as some beleive either.

POWs in N, America will be put to work not just to make the camps self sufficient. But also to be a benefit to the community. Remember human labor will be the main source of getting things done. And we will have just had a massive die off as a result of alot of nasty things. Couple it the poor physical condition of a large segment of the society why waste a resource consisting of laree numbers of healthy men who otherwise could be used for the large scale projects that will be now needed?

Remember durring WWII alot of the German and Italian prisoners were contracted out for farm work as well. Farm work not just for their own prison camps but for many farms within the region. Heck, I can look out my backdoor and see the site of an old Italain POW facility where they repaired damaged tents and vehicles.

But, also consider this. Most POW compounds are placed in isolated and rural communities. So, this should keep them from harm for most of reprisals. And by the time things start getting nasty, I think the locals would see the POWs as more of an asset to their community that would be best safeguarded. Further, the isolation as well as the fear of falling into vengance minded locals or refugees would be another incentive to keep the POWs inline and from escaping.

IF I were running the show! I would break the POWs into small groups of a platoon size and put them in rural communities or farms where they could be put to work with say a fire team or two to monitor and safeguard the POWs. Turn them into more or less self sufficient camps or work groups helping a community with its farming or other agricultural industry, or logging camps, or road repair crews or minning or any other number of industries. This way they would be fairly well dispersed so you do not have a massive concentration in any one area making them a target or having a large number of non workers. Of course the loss of a six to eight men to guard them could mount up, but that is what you use wounded who are recovering or no longer fit for front line service, as well as a few locals to suppliment the guard force.