In the USSR, being unreliable (неблагонадёжный, look into Great Terror of the 30s history) and capable of some useful to the regime skills could land you into h

In the USSR, being unreliable (неблагонадёжный, look into Great Terror of the 30s history) and capable of some useful to the regime skills could land you into https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharashka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharashka . Poland in the 40-50s was slightly milder, but not by a lot. Ability to keep quiet is a key survival skill in the authoritarian states.