Nepal, April 22 -- Prisons across Nepal are holding more than 10,000 inmates beyond their capacity, yet the issue has not received adequate attention from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Despite the formation of a new government and the Home Minister's active monitoring of various structures within and outside the ministry, prison conditions have largely been overlooked. Of the country's 77 districts, 72 have a total of 75 prisons. Districts such as Bhaktapur, Dhanusha, Bara, East Nawalparasi and Rukum East lack prison facilities, while Kathmandu, Dang and Banke each have two prisons. Overcrowding in these facilities has created serious management challenges.

According to data provided by the Department of Prison Management (DoPM) on Mon...