People are now paying to be prisoners — all for peace, quiet, and a break from life

In a world fuelled by constant connectivity and noise, silence has become a luxury — and some are willing to pay a price for it.

Welcome to Prison Inside Me, a mock jail nestled in the quiet hills of Hongcheon, South Korea. Since opening its doors in 2013, it has drawn thousands of guests in search of one thing: total escape.

Far from your standard wellness retreat, this facility reportedly offers a starkly different kind of detox — one wrapped in concrete walls, solitude, and self-imposed discipline.

Upon arrival, guests surrender their mobile phones, watches, and digital devices. In return, they’re handed a set of basic toiletries and a blue prison uniform. The message is clear: time doesn’t matter here — only stillness does.

Rooms are sparse. A yoga mat stands in for a bed. A small tea set sits on the windowsill. There’s a toilet, but no mirror. No distractions. Just you, your thoughts, and the quiet.

Before being voluntarily locked in their individual cells, guests are invited to take a short walk and participate in a group meditation session. After that, it’s isolation.

Meals are simple and delivered directly to each room — eaten alone and in silence. Interaction with other guests is strictly prohibited.

The Yes Theory YouTube channel even tried it out for themselves, paying $88 for the voluntary confinement.

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

"Damn, as soon as the door closed, my body just shut down," one of the YouTuber shared. "It just immediately tapped into the rest it was craving."

The unusual retreat also caught the attention of Reddit users, where a viral thread sparked a wave of intrigue and debate. Some hailed it as genius — a sanctuary in an overstimulated world. Others questioned why people would pay to live like inmates.

One wrote: "I used to work with a lady who would go on annual silent retreats to some camp where you couldn’t talk and no one else could either. When I was a teenager, I thought that sounded horrible and wondered why someone would pay for that. Now, as a middle-aged mom, I wonder how much it is and when I can go?"

Another humoured: "Gimme three years, thanks. Come out with a degree, ripped as f***."

You should also read...

• Heartbreak Hotel: How one Derbyshire retreat is healing hearts across the world
• Capitol rioter compares 60-day jail sentence to wellness retreat: ‘Hopefully I’ll get down to my ideal weight’

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.