Hyderabad has launched a unique prison experience centre and museum that allows visitors to understand what life behind bars feels like while exploring the evolution of India’s correctional system.
The “Feel the Jail” initiative and Jail Museum opened at Chanchalguda Central Jail on Tuesday.
Shiv Pratap Shukla inaugurated the project in the presence of senior prison officials, including Soumya Mishra.
The project aims to educate visitors about prison conditions, inmate rehabilitation and the changing philosophy of India’s justice system.
During the inauguration, the governor personally inspected specially designed prison cells built for the “Feel the Jail” experience.
The recreated rooms include prison beds, steel utensils and enclosed washroom spaces to simulate incarceration conditions.
Officials say the initiative allows people, especially young visitors, to better understand discipline, civic responsibility and the value of freedom.
Museum Highlights Prison History and Reform
The newly opened museum also documents the historical evolution of prisons in the region.
Exhibits include displays from the Nizam-era prison system and stories about prisoners who contributed to the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.
The museum also recreates prison cells linked to notable historical figures such as Dasarathi Krishnamacharyulu and Bhakta Ramadasu, also known as Kancherla Gopanna.
Visitors can also view vocational products manufactured by inmates as part of prison skill-development and rehabilitation programmes.
During the visit, Governor Shukla reviewed items produced by prisoners and watched a documentary titled Valmiki, which focused on inmate behavioral reform initiatives.
Addressing officials and guests, Shukla said prisons should no longer function only as spaces of punishment.
He said society must focus on rehabilitation and transformation alongside accountability for crimes.
Calling the museum an important milestone, the governor said it represented a shift “from retribution to transformation.”
Referring to displays of old prison chains and cells, he said the exhibits reflected the contrast between harsher punishment systems of the past and modern correctional reforms.
‘Feel the Jail’ Designed as Educational Initiative
Officials say the museum is expected to serve as both a tourist attraction and a public awareness platform focused on prison reform.
The Telangana Prisons and Correctional Services Department has increasingly emphasized vocational training, behavioral reform and rehabilitation in recent years.
Authorities believe the “Feel the Jail” programme could also discourage crime by giving visitors a direct understanding of prison realities.
The governor praised prison authorities for balancing discipline with rehabilitation efforts.
He also described prisoner reform as a broader moral responsibility for society.
Experts say museums and experiential centres linked to prisons have become increasingly common globally as governments attempt to create greater public awareness around correctional systems and rehabilitation.
Officials in Hyderabad say the museum may also support research and educational activities related to criminal justice and prison administration in India.
