The Corrective Services NSW Museum — Attraction in Cooma

We were having a long trip and decided to stay in Cooma for a day. We visited this Museum because it was recommended on TripAdvisor and we know nothing about Corrective Service before the visit. Now after the visit I feel it's one of the really non-forgettable memories of our entire trip.

We arrived there around 10:00am and there were no other visitors. Someone welcomed us and offered to guide us go through the museum. We only found later on that the person was actually someone still in jail! He was doing this tour guide work because he was a 'trusted' one so he was allowed to go out and do services for a few hours during the day. Apparently, we were the first group he guided on his own. (During the whole time, a few officers passed by and checked if everything is OK)

It was definitely a brilliant tour as the guy was able to show us what was displayed as well as told us a lot of his real experience. I won't share too much here as I feel people should go there and experience this themselves. In the end, we bought a few pieces of artwork in the gift shop which was done by the prisoners. The artworks looks great and the price is good as well.

Highly...

My partner is keen on jails across the country, hence we've seen many across Victoria, Tasmania and now NSW, and I can confidently say that this is hands down the best experience we've had.

For one, this is an actual jail, and is guided by the inmates currently incarcerated at the minimum security prison. Richard, Kelvin and NG were all very informative, eloquent and friendly bunch. They have a vast knowledge of the past and can tell you first hand of the hardships of the present.

After the tour is complete, they will show you some of their arts and craft that they make while incarcerated, some of which is quite special. Kelvin and Richard were the woodworkers, making cutting boards, coasters and the like. NG is an extremely talented origami master with a flair for the utilitarian reuse of jeans into a variety of useful products.

I highly recommend to stop by if...

Visited the museum yesterday. Well worth the hour and a bit. Very interesting exhibits and facts. Very helpful officer in attendance and the ‘inmates’ assisting. Was really impressed with the souvenirs in the shop; make sure you bring some cash, as EFTPos is not accepted. Things range in price from couple of dollars and up. Good for Christmas shopping, a $100 will go along way. The best bit about the shopping is that the ‘art’ and bags etc is all made by inmates, so each piece has the story line (when you gift the item) ‘this was hand made by an inmate of Cooma jail’. Also, If you are lucky, and I was, you get to operate the drop-door lever for the old gallows. How cool, yet so frightening (and loud as so fast). Well worth the visit, and essentially free except a gold...