Bhubaneswar: In a unique initiative blending public awareness, correctional education and experiential tourism, Shiv Pratap Shukla on Tuesday inaugurated the “Feel the Jail” experience centre and a new Jail Museum at Chanchalguda Central Jail.
The programme, also known as “Jail Anubhavam,” allows ordinary citizens to voluntarily experience simulated prison life within a controlled and supervised environment. Visitors can opt for a 12-hour stay priced at ₹1,000 or a 24-hour stay costing ₹2,000.
Officials clarified that the initiative is not intended merely as a tourist attraction but as an effort to help people understand prison conditions, correctional discipline, rehabilitation systems and the value of personal freedom.
Participants staying at the facility will reportedly reside in specially designed prison-style cells, consume jail-style meals and follow restricted daily routines similar to those experienced by inmates.
The recreated prison environment includes plain rooms, minimal bedding, limited movement and heavy iron grills separating occupants from corridors. Reports indicate that some rooms feature a single bed with a navy-blue sheet, an earthen water pot and compact washroom facilities to simulate basic confinement conditions while maintaining safety and ventilation.
Alongside the immersive experience, the newly opened Jail Museum documents the evolution of correctional systems in the region, tracing the history of prisons from the Nizam era to the modern prison administration framework.
The initiative reflects the growing global trend of “prison tourism,” often associated with dark tourism, where former or functioning correctional facilities are transformed into museums and immersive educational spaces exploring themes of punishment, reform, crime, politics and social history.
-OdishaAge
