Hyderabad: Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Tuesday inaugurated the Telangana Prisons Museum and the “Feel the Jail Experience/Jail Anubhavam” initiative at Chanchalguda in Hyderabad.
Speaking at the inauguration, he said the establishment marks a historic milestone in the evolution of correctional administration. “Prisons in earlier times functioned largely as centres of punishment where inmates faced severe physical and mental hardship, and such practices continued even during the early years after Independence,” he said.
He emphasised that prison systems have undergone a remarkable transformation from punitive institutions into centres of correction, rehabilitation, reformation, and human dignity. “Telangana Prisons Museum beautifully captures this journey and provides society with a realistic understanding of prison administration and inmate life. It is not merely a collection of historical artefacts, but a living narrative of the evolution of justice, punishment, correction, and human reform,” he said.
The museum features galleries, recreated old jail barracks, prison artefacts, shackles, chains, fetters, gallows, and audio-visual exhibits. Visitors can witness the realities of prison life in earlier centuries and understand how modern prisons have evolved into reformative institutions.
He also appreciated the reformative and rehabilitative initiatives undertaken by the Telangana Prisons Department in inmate welfare, vocational training, prison industries, agriculture, skill development, and social reintegration.
Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Dr Soumya Mishra the Telangana Prisons Museum has been developed as a comprehensive institution of awareness, education, research, and reflection. “one of the museum’s important sections documents the contribution of prisons and inmate labour during the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam between 1961 and 1968, where prisoners worked in an open-air jail established at the project site, contributing significantly to nation-building activities,” she said.
The public can book online at the official website. For enquiries and bookings, the public may contact us via email at telanganafeelthejail@gmail.com or by phone at +91 94946 32046.
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