Gulmi, May 26 -- As you enter the gate, a symphony of sounds greets your ears. Some are carving wood into shapes, others are giving form to construction materials. Everyone is engrossed in their tasks, leaving no one idle.

Eighteen individuals are busy working intricate patterns in wood, forty are crafting furniture, thirty-eight are weaving stools, twelve are working on fabric looms, and seven are knitting caps and sweaters-their creative hands constantly in motion.

This might seem like a well-run industrial operation, but in fact, this is a typical scene at the Gulmi District Prison.

A glance inside reveals what looks like a hub of factory and creativity. A facility meant to incarcerate has transformed into something resembling an in...