Hyderabad's new 'Feel the Jail' museum lets visitors see what prison life feels like
Hyderabad's Chanchalguda Central Jail has opened a unique "Feel the Jail" experience centre and Jail Museum, offering visitors a glimpse into prison life, history, and reform efforts through simulated jail conditions.
Hyderabad residents can now get a glimpse of what life behind bars actually feels like, after Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla inaugurated a unique “Feel the Jail” experience centre and a new Jail Museum at Chanchalguda Central Jail on Tuesday.
The initiative, launched at the State Institute of Correctional Administration (SICA) in Chanchalguda, is designed to give visitors a firsthand understanding of prison life, while also showcasing the evolution of India’s correctional system and the rehabilitation efforts undertaken inside prisons.
The Governor inaugurated both the “Feel the Jail” experiential programme and the Jail Museum in the presence of senior prison officials, including Telangana Prisons Department Director General Soumya Mishra.
During his visit, Shukla personally inspected specially designed prison cells created as part of the “Feel the Jail” initiative, where visitors can experience conditions similar to incarceration and understand the realities of life inside prison walls.
The pictures of the museum, which are being circulated on social media, give a glimpse into what the rooms in the prison look like, complete with a bed, steel cutlery, as well as a separate partition where the bathroom was built.
See the pictures here:
The newly opened Jail Museum also offers a detailed walk through the history of prisons in the region.
Among its exhibits are displays depicting prison systems during the Nizam era, stories about the contribution of prisoners to the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, and recreated prison cells linked to notable historical figures including poet Dasarathi Krishnamacharyulu and Bhakta Ramadasu, also known as Kancherla Gopanna.
The museum additionally highlights modern prison reform efforts, including rehabilitation programmes, prison industries, vocational training, and products manufactured by inmates as part of skill development initiatives.
As part of the visit, the Governor reviewed items made by prisoners and watched a documentary titled Valmiki, which focused on behavioural reform programmes aimed at helping inmates rebuild their lives.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Shukla stressed that prisons should no longer be seen only as centres of punishment.
He said a progressive society must focus not only on penalising wrongdoing but also on rehabilitation and transformation, adding that prisons should become spaces that encourage reflection, personality development, and fresh beginnings.
Calling the inauguration an important milestone, he said the Jail Museum symbolised a significant shift in the justice system, from punishment to reform.
Referring to exhibits displaying old chains and prison cells, the Governor said they served as reminders of harsher penal systems of the past, while modern rehabilitation efforts reflected a move “from retribution to transformation.”
He also described prisoner rehabilitation as a moral responsibility of society and praised the Telangana Prisons and Correctional Services Department for prioritising reform alongside discipline.
Particular emphasis was placed on the “Feel the Jail” programme, which the Governor described as an innovative educational initiative that could help young people understand the importance of law, civic responsibility, discipline, and freedom.
Officials said the museum is expected to serve not only as a tourist attraction but also as a platform for education, research, and public awareness around correctional systems and prison reform.