Harsh and brutal punishments implemented in the camp had a significant impact on condition and mortality of female prisoners. The most common punishment was spontaneous beating, without any official procedure. Theoretically a female prisoner shall be punished if she: doesn’t’ follow the camp’s regulations, shows insubordination or breaks in any way rules imposed by the camp authorities. In such cases SS-man, SS-female guard or prisoner functionary submitted a penal report. As a result, the camp commander or supervisor issued a written penal order indicating the kind of punishment. Mostly it was whipping performed in public on a special device for beating called “goat”. Punishment of 15 whips received Janina Lach-Kamińska for stealing of 15 potatoes from the field, 25 whips received female prisoners from farm command for complaining about kapo, who stole their soup, 25 whips received also Sztubowa (room leader) from the block 23- she failed to watch over a Dutch Jewish woman, who hide in straw mattress and avoided roll call. 

Female prisoners suspected of conspiracy activities were sent to the Political Department (Politische Abteilung) for interrogation, that was usually combined with tortures in order to coerce a testimony of them. Afterwards they were imprisoned in the camp’s arrest located in basement of the block 11 in Auschwitz I. Some were released subsequently back to the camp, but for many the imprisonment ended up with their death. Executions were performed in public in order to intimidate the peer prisoners. 

The other punishment method for female prisoners were so- called standing bunker (Stehzellen) located in the barrack no 3 in the section BI b. In a cell of 90 x 90cm, with no access of fresh air and light female prisoners were closed for a night. On the morning of following day, she had to go working, sleepy and tired of many hours of standing. This punishment was particularly exhausting when it was ordered for couple of nights in a row. 

Among other punishments should be also mentioned: penal labour, penal roll calls (stòjka) and so -called “sport” (sport exercises in a very high tempo with no interruption at all), kneeing with hands up, sometimes additionally holding bricks, another punishment was cancellation of meal. There were individual and collective punishments, joint punishment was also practiced. 

In the camp’s practice spontaneous, informal exercising of punishment was a daily routine. Female prisoners were slapped across the face, beaten with stick or whip, kicked, insulted and humiliated even for minor infractions like: picking up fruits and drawing water from rows along the street on the way to work, attempting to hide within block during the day, being late for roll call, singing Polish patriotic songs, not staying in own barrack, organizing materials for fire, cooking, possessing argots or additional clothing (was considered as preparation for escape and pushed very harsh), organizing food, false binding a scarf or lack thereof, possessing of family pictures or other items not allowed by the rules.