Conscription stripped the COs of their human rights and put them under the control of the Army. The Tribunals set up to handle exemptions were their only means of redress. Leaving the Tribunal, men had to make a difficult and personal moral choice. None knew what lay ahead of them and all were aware of the unsympathetic if not wholly hostile social climate as the death toll mounted in the trenches.
COs who received an exemption could choose to obey the decision of the Tribunals and accept a Non-Combatant role in the army or alongside it or choose to take up Work of National Importance, staying out of the army while contributing to the economy in a variety of occupations under the Home Office Scheme. These men chose an alternative role to that of a soldier. Some men refused to compromise in any way. Their refusal was absolute. Many changed their minds between the options as the consequence of each became clearer.

Many conscientious objectors however received no exemption and were immediately handed over to the army. The hierarchical and punitive military system was ill equipped to deal with men on whom punishment, brutality, even the threat of being shot had no effect.

By the middle of 1916, thousands of COs were in prison and the system was breaking down. In an attempt to remove these difficult and stubborn men from prison, but still keep them under control the government devised a new system - the Home Office Scheme. Under the scheme, COs who agreed to strict rules and who agreed to carry out punishing and pointless manual work - Work of National Importance - would be allowed out of prison into camps. At the camps they would have a greater degree of freedom, but would often be living in conditions as bad as those in prison while carrying out often backbreaking labour with inadequate clothing and poor tools.

Resisting authority, and an unwilingness to kill strangers had to be punished.