Final answer:
In the context of concentration and extermination camps during World War II, the prisoners who were told not to report to work but to stay in camp were the sick and weak. these individuals were separated because they could no longer contribute to forced labor and were often at risk of extermination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Several days later though, some of the prisoners were told that they were not to report to work but would instead stay in camp. Who were these prisoners? The sick and weak prisoners were usually the ones told not to report to work. Within the hierarchy of prisoners in concentration camps like Auschwitz, those who were too ill or weak to work were often separated from those capable of labor. This often foreshadowed a grim fate, as they could be selected for extermination rather than being kept alive for forced labor.
Such distinctions among prisoners signify how the camp authorities valued inmates purely on their ability to contribute to the war effort through labor. Others, such as those immediately deemed unfit for work, faced immediate murder upon arrival or after becoming too weak to work any further. Therefore, answer B) The sick and weak is the correct choice for who were told to stay in camp instead of reporting to work.