Poring over their fine-quality crochet, the  prisoners of Brazil's Arisvaldo de Campos Pires maximum security penitentiary  are a model of concentration.

And it's no wonder, when you consider what's  at stake.

Thanks to a collaboration with Brazilian  fashion designer Raquel Guimaraes, the inmates have one day taken off their  sentence for every three days of knitting they perform.

A stitch in time: Prisoners knit clothing for Brazilian  fashion designer Raquel Guimaraes in the Arisvaldo de Campos Pires maximum  security jail

Concentration: An inmate works on a woollen design as  designer Raquel Guimaraes (left) walks past

The designer turned to the prison for help in  2009 when she had trouble finding knitters for her Doiselles label, which  specialises in beautiful knitting and crochet work.

She trained 18 prisoners sentenced for crimes  ranging from robbery to murder, and their work is now exported globally,  including to America, France, and Japan.

The hand-made pieces, which are strictly  quality-checked, are also sold in 70 stores in Brazil.

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