Have you ever wondered what life behind bars actually feels like? Now you don’t have to just imagine it. At Hyderabad’s Chanchalguda Central Jail, a new initiative called “Feel The Jail” allows people to experience a controlled version of prison life without actually committing any crime.
This unique jail tourism experience lets visitors enter specially designed barracks and live like inmates for 12 or 24 hours. The setup includes iron grills, plain walls, basic beds, and strict surroundings, all designed to recreate the discipline and simplicity of prison life in a safe and supervised environment.
How does life behind bars feel like?
Once inside, visitors walk through quiet corridors that lead to simple, clean barracks. Each cell has only basic items like a bed, an earthen water pot, and a small wash area.
As per News18 reports, one of the barracks made for the programme has a single bed placed against a plain white wall with a navy-blue bedsheet. The room only includes basic things like a clay water pot and a small washroom area. A strong black iron grill separates the barrack from the corridor, giving visitors the feeling of being inside a real prison cell. Another section for the 24-hour stay has four beds placed opposite each other, showing how inmates live together in shared spaces with very little privacy and strict discipline.
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For groups, there are shared barracks with four beds arranged together. This setup shows how inmates live in common spaces where there is very little privacy and discipline is strictly followed at all times.
What happens inside the high-security simulation
Further inside, there is a high-security barrack protected by double-layered iron grills that limit movement and visibility. The cell has only basic items like a bed, a small table, a wash area, and an earthen pot for drinking water, showing the simple and strict lifestyle followed in high-security prison sections, as per News18 reports.
As per News18 reports, officials have clarified that these specially designed barracks are not used for inmates. They are created only for the tourism programme, allowing visitors to experience a prison-like environment without affecting regular jail operations, as reported by Hans India.
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The initiative is designed as an educational and awareness programme. It aims to help visitors understand prison life, discipline, and confinement. Authorities also believe it can improve public awareness about the correctional system and how prisons are managed.
What are the pricing and access details
As per News18 reports, the experience is priced at Rs 1,000 for 12 hours and Rs 2,000 for a full 24-hour stay. Visitors can also explore the prison museum separately, with nominal entry fees for students and general visitors, while children under 10 enter free.
With the launch of this initiative, the Chanchalguda Prison Museum has become the fifth jail museum in India.
Similar prison tourism and museum experiences already exist in several historic correctional facilities across the country, including the Cellular Jail, the Alipore Jail Museum, the Bengaluru Central Jail Museum, and the Goa Central Jail.
