Final answer:
Prisoners entering various types of camps often faced a degradation ceremony that deprived them of their individual identity; however, being tattooed with an identification number was specific to Auschwitz and was not a universal practice in all camps.
Step-by-step explanation:
Upon entering the camps, prisoners were subjected to various processes meant to strip them of their identity and prepare them for their new environment. Measures such as losing their personal freedoms, rights, and belongings were commonplace. Additionally, they often wore matching uniforms and in some cases, had their hair cut short to conform to the identity of the group they were entering, such as soldiers in the military. These practices were part of what is known as a degradation ceremony, a process meant to erase individual identity and reshape it to fit the new environment.
However, one specific process that was not a universal experience for all prisoners was being tattooed with an identification number. This particular act was notoriously carried out in the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust. The infamous tattoos were used as a means of identification within the camp and were part of the dehumanizing process endured by inmates. It is important to note that tattooing was not a standard procedure in all camps and certainly not in prisoner of war camps following the Geneva Conventions, or in other contexts such as military induction or internment camps.