In a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at giving citizens a glimpse into life behind bars, Chanchalguda Central Prison has launched an immersive programme called “Feel the Jail”, allowing the public to voluntarily experience prison life for 12 or 24 hours.
The initiative, introduced along with a newly opened prison museum, is designed to spread awareness about India’s correctional system while offering participants a firsthand understanding of discipline, confinement and rehabilitation inside jail premises.
Under the programme, visitors will stay in specially recreated prison cells, eat the same food served to inmates and follow routines similar to those observed by prisoners. Officials said the experience has been intentionally designed to simulate the psychological and physical restrictions associated with incarceration.
 Citizens can now ‘live like inmates’
The programme, branded as “Jail Anubhavam”, is open for public booking through the official portal. According to prison authorities, participants will have to pay Rs 1,000 for a 12-hour stay and Rs 2,000 for a full 24-hour experience. Three dedicated prison-style cells have been created for visitors, two for men and one for women. One of the barracks has been modeled on high-security cells typically used for hardened criminals, Naxalites and terror accused.
The rooms maintain deliberately minimal conditions, featuring only basic necessities such as a bed, blanket, water pot, plate, drinking glass and a partially covered washroom area.
Officials said the environment is intended to help visitors understand the discomfort, restrictions and emotional strain faced by inmates.
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No phones, same meals as prisoners
Speaking to Financial Express Online, Chanchalguda Central Prison jailer Ganesh Babu said the initiative was created primarily to spread awareness about prison conditions and prison administration.
“This is a new initiative that started yesterday (May 12). This initiative is taken to spread awareness to people about how jail conditions are and how they function. Unlike hotels or restaurants, visitors cannot use any communication device and they are supposed to eat the same meal that inmates eat,” he added.
According to the jailer, participants will have to temporarily surrender access to communication devices during their stay in order to recreate the isolation associated with prison life. The jailer further said the money generated through bookings would be used for prison welfare and inmate development programmes.
“This initiative also shows how prisoners’ living conditions are, and the money we receive through booking will be put into prison welfare development programmes,” he said.
New prison museum traces history of jails
The launch of the “Feel the Jail” experience also coincided with the opening of the Jail Museum at the State Institute of Correctional Administration (SICA). The museum showcases the evolution of prison systems from the Nizam era to modern-day correctional institutions.
Among the exhibits are historic shackles, recreated prison barracks and displays related to notable prisoners such as Bhakta Ramadasu and Dasarathi Krishnamacharyulu.
The museum also reveals prison industries, inmate rehabilitation programmes and the contribution of prisoners to major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.
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Inspired by Sangareddy jail experience
Officials said the initiative draws inspiration from the popular one-day prison experience earlier introduced at the Sangareddy Heritage Jail Museum, which had attracted widespread public interest and curiosity.
Authorities believe the new programme could help change public perceptions about prisons by shifting focus from punishment to correction and rehabilitation.
The initiative also comes amid growing interest in experiential tourism and immersive public-awareness programmes across India. However, for many visitors, the attraction lies in experiencing, even briefly, the harsh reality of losing personal freedom and living within the rigid structure of prison life.
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