This study first reviews scholarly interpretations offered by penal historians who have attempted to understand the causes for the inhumane conditions that existed during the Civil War in most military prisoner-of-war camps. An illustrative case study of one such prison for Confederate prisoners at Camp Randall in Wisconsin is provided and analyzed. Findings suggest that Camp Randall’s failure as a prisoner-of-war detention center rests on grounds that might be described as callous disregard or willful indifference for the well-being of those confined there. To the extent that there has been little attention paid to the experience of the men in the North’s smaller prison camps and to what, extent if any, it had for the war effort. Striking parallels were found between the suffering endured by American Civil War era prisoners and the justification used by Union and Confederate governments responsible for such cruelty. The study notes that the mistreatment of prisoners taken and held overseas in the war on terrorism has a domestic corollary in U.S. history. Research is based on the historical record of a Civil War prison camp located in Wisconsin. Notes and references