Telangana’s New ‘Feel the Jail’ Museum Offers One-Day Real-Life Prison Experience

The Telangana Prisons Department on Tuesday inaugurated the state’s new Telangana Prisons Museum and the immersive ‘Feel the Jail Experience / Jail Anubhavam’ initiative at Chanchalguda in Hyderabad, offering citizens a rare opportunity to experience prison life while learning about the evolution of India’s correctional system.

The facility, established at the State Institute of Correctional Administration (SICA) , was inaugurated by Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla , who described the museum as a “historic milestone” in the transformation of prisons from punishment-driven institutions into centres focused on rehabilitation, correction, and human dignity .

The initiative has already drawn public attention for its resemblance to prison scenes from the Telugu hit film Jathi Ratnalu . However, officials clarified that the programme is designed not as entertainment, but as an educational and awareness-driven experience aimed at helping the public understand prison systems, inmate life, and correctional reforms.

Under the ‘Feel the Jail’ concept, visitors can opt for a structured 12-hour or 24-hour paid prison experience , where they will stay inside prison-style accommodation, follow prison discipline and routines, and consume standard jail meals prepared for inmates. Participants will reportedly be provided prison uniforms and basic amenities while mobile phones and personal belongings will be deposited before entry to simulate actual prison conditions.

Addressing the gathering, Telangana Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Soumya Mishra said the museum was developed after the earlier heritage jail museum at Sangareddy collapsed a few years ago. The department later revived and expanded the concept into a modern, immersive facility at Chanchalguda.

The museum features recreated jail barracks, shackles, chains, fetters, gallows, thematic painting galleries, and original prison artefacts that depict the harsh realities of prison life in earlier centuries. Audio-visual exhibits explain prison administration, inmate routines, court production processes, and correctional practices.

One of the museum’s special sections documents the contribution of prison labour during the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam between 1961 and 1968, where inmates reportedly worked in an open-air jail established near the project site.

Officials said the museum also highlights prison industries, agriculture, vocational training, skill development, and inmate rehabilitation programmes aimed at reintegrating prisoners into society. The department believes the initiative will emerge as an important centre for public awareness, prison reform education, tourism, and rehabilitation-focused outreach .

The Telangana Prisons Department has also launched the official website, Telangana Jail Experience, for bookings and visitor registrations for the museum and prison experience programme. For enquiries and reservations, the public can contact through email at telanganafeelthejail@gmail.com or phone at +91 94946 32046.