Warden Page 378 (Patreon)

The Prisoner doesn't want one of Insight's soldiers to make a self-sacrificial choice. It would be a showcase of loyalty and would undermine his efforts of division. In reality, these particular Owls would not but the Prisoner does not know and wouldn't take the risk. Instead, he diminishes her by calling her a coward for refusing to make a choice. 

Do I think this sub-text would be understood by the readers without this commentary? No. But it does make it more interesting.