Telangana jail museum at SICA Chanchalguda to open with "Feel the Jail" experience

The Telangana Prisons Department is launching a Jail Museum at the State Institute of Correctional Administration (SICA), Chanchalguda, offering visitors a one-day "Feel the Jail" experience. Officials say it will explain prison life, routines, and food while documenting the history and evolution of prison administration. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla will inaugurate it on 12 May.

The Telangana Prisons Department would open a Jail Museum at the State Institute of Correctional Administration (SICA), Chanchalguda. Officials said the facility would let visitors see prison life up close. It would also explain how prisons work and how the system has changed. Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla would inaugurate the museum and the Jail Anubhavam initiative on May 12.

Officials said the museum would include a One Day Jail Experience under the Feel the Jail concept. Visitors would sample jail food and see living conditions. The programme would also show daily routines inside a prison. Officials described the SICA museum as the fifth such museum in the country. They said it aims to preserve prison history and reforms.

Telangana Jail Museum at SICA and Feel the Jail concept

Telangana Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Soumya Mishra, said an earlier jail museum operated at Sangareddy. The museum was inside a colonial-era district central jail. Mishra said the building collapsed a few years ago and the museum shut. Mishra said the idea was revived and expanded with support from senior officials.

Mishra said the Sangareddy exhibits were shifted to SICA with care. Mishra said the items were curated again and developed into a modern museum. Officials said the new museum was designed to be well structured. Officials added that it improves public access to information on prisons. The museum now sits within the SICA campus at Chanchalguda.

Telangana Jail Museum exhibits on prison history and prison conditions

Officials said the Jail Museum presents the evolution of prisons from ancient to modern times. The displays include thematic paintings, installations, and curated exhibits. Officials said these explain older crime and punishment practices. Visitors would see how ideas about punishment changed over time. Officials added the museum gives context to prison systems across different periods.

Officials said a major feature is the lifelike recreation of earlier jail conditions. The museum shows shackles, chains, and fetters used in the past. It also includes recreated prison cells showing harsh environments. Officials said original prison artefacts are displayed as well. They said these items offer an authentic view of daily jail functioning in earlier times.

Telangana Jail Museum shows prison administration and rehabilitation work

Officials said the museum also tracks the Telangana Prisons Department’s shift in approach. They said it moved from a punitive model to correction and rehabilitation. The exhibits cover prison industries, agriculture, and skill development initiatives. Officials said these reflect a focus on inmate reformation. They added that visitors would learn how work programmes operate inside prisons.

Officials said audio and video chambers explain jail administration in detail. The content covers mulakats, inmate visits, and court productions. It also shows routine prison activities. Officials said these sections aim to give a realistic view of how prisons function. They added that the museum supports public understanding of processes inside jails.

With inputs from PTI