What is the importance of the Oasis in the novel, In the Afterlight?

The Oasis is a relatively small prison camp where children are being held. Ruby's group plans to free the children from this camp as a practice run for freeing the children of Thurmond. The situation becomes complicated when Liam unexpectedly shows up with a reporter. The images and story the reporter releases garners public support for freeing other children, which helps when Ruby's group frees the children from Thurmond. The camp is smaller than Thurmond, but includes fences and guards. The children are in dorms and are obviously afraid to leave their dorms when Ruby's group first arrives.