Hyderabad:
Chanchalguda Central Prison in Hyderabad on Tuesday launched “Feel the Jail,” an initiative that allows ordinary citizens to experience prison life for 12 or 24 hours.
Visitors can stay in specially designed prison cells, eat jail food, and follow inmate-style routines to understand the realities of incarceration and the value of freedom.
The 24-hour “Feel the Jail” experience has been priced at Rs 2,000, while those opting for a shorter 12-hour stay will pay Rs 1,000.
The newly opened Jail Museum also showcases the evolution of prisons from the Nizam era to modern correctional practices.
It features old shackles and prison cells, stories of noted prisoners such as Bhakta Ramadasu and Dasarathi Krishnamacharyulu, prison industries, rehabilitation programmes, and the contribution of prisoners to the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.
The Chanchalguda museum is inspired by the earlier “one-day jail experience” at the Sangareddy Heritage Prison Museum, which had attracted significant public attention.
The initiative was inaugurated by Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla along with the new Jail Museum at the State Institute of Correctional Administration (SICA), Chanchalguda.
Officials said the programme aims to create awareness about law, discipline, and the prison system, especially among the youth.
Calling prisons “centres of reform and transformation,” Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said a progressive society must focus not only on punishment but also on rehabilitation and second chances.
Telangana Prisons officials said the Chanchalguda initiative is designed as a more organised and interactive experience.
“The initiative marks a new chapter in the state’s correctional reforms and will help the public better understand prison administration and inmate rehabilitation,” said Prison DGP Soumya Mishra.
The museum has already gone viral on social media, with many users reacting with curiosity to the idea of voluntarily living like a prisoner for a day.