Come, experience life inside a prison in Kerala

KOCHI: Want to experience life inside the prison cell? Well, this will be a reality in the state with the Kerala Prisons Department getting ready to open its gates to allow the public to stay a day by paying a rent.

As per the plan, the Kerala Prison Department will start the Prison Museum at Viyyur Central Jail in Thrissur which will enable people to experience the jail life, including staying in cells, where they can spend a day. A brainchild of R Sreelekha, Director General of Prisons and Correctional Service, it was sanctioned by the government and a fund of `6 crore for two years was allocated.

The museum will be a first of its kind in India. “We would be introducing enclosures in which people can spend 24 hours  in the jail to experience life inside prison. There will be separate cells for women and men. They can have jail food similar to one given to prisoners.

There is no other museum in the country like the one we will be introducing at Viyyur. The museum will have British-era records, warrants, registers, torture equipment, other equipment like motors and utensils on display. We will also recreate underground cells, condemned cells and old dark cells which the public have never seen. There will be a cafeteria and shops where jail products will be available,” she said.

Businessman Bobby Chemmannur recently travelled all the way to Telangana to stay in the jail there to feel the experience inside the prison cell. The Telangana Prisons charge `500 per day for this ‘facility’.
According to an officer in Thrissur Viyyur Central Jail, the project has received a green signal by the Prison Department and construction plans have been finalised. A new building will be constructed for this purpose.

Prison Museum

The Kerala Prison Department will start the Prison Museum at Viyyur Central Jail in Thrissur which will enable people to experience the jail life

24 hours people can spend inside the jail