Final answer:
A contagious prisoner should be isolated to prevent the spread of disease. Permanent isolation camps are controversial and not commonly practiced today. Temporary quarantines are used to balance individual rights and public safety during outbreaks.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a prisoner is found to be contagious, the appropriate action to protect the public would be to isolate them. This is because isolation helps prevent the spread of the disease to others. Given the ethical considerations, complete seclusion such as permanent isolation camps is quite contentious. While historical contexts like leper colonies or proposed AIDS camps provide extreme examples, modern public health measures aim for temporary, clinical quarantining to balance individual rights with public safety. In the case of a severe outbreak, societal and medical ethics would be crucial in deciding whether such forced isolation is justified.