Maryland Must Acknowledge and Repair Historical Injustices Against Children in State Custody
Source: Marc Schindler, Tyrone Walker. "The horrifying secret of the child detention center we shared as detainee and warden.." March 30, 2026. slate.com
The Gist
The authors argue that Maryland buried over 200 children in unmarked graves after they died in state custody, mostly Black children who were treated worse than white children in the juvenile system. Since the state knew about these graves for decades but did nothing, Maryland now has a moral duty to properly investigate what happened, honor these children, and make things right with their families.
Conclusion
Maryland and other states must formally acknowledge, investigate, and provide reparative action for the systematic mistreatment and deaths of children (particularly Black children) in state custody, whose unmarked graves represent decades of institutional neglect and racial injustice.
Premises
- Over 200 children who died in Maryland state custody between the 1870s and 1930s are buried in unmarked graves at the former House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children
- Maryland's juvenile detention system was founded on explicitly racist principles, with Black children receiving harsher treatment focused on 'reformation' while white children received 'refuge' and rehabilitation
- State officials have known about these burial grounds since at least the 1970s but took no action to preserve, mark, or investigate them for decades
- Historical records and witness testimony suggest many deaths resulted from violence, neglect, and systemic indifference rather than just disease as officially recorded
- Families were rarely notified when their children died in state custody, compounding the institutional neglect
- Similar abandoned burial grounds for incarcerated children exist across the country, indicating a national pattern of treating vulnerable children as expendable
- Recent genealogical research has identified living relatives who deserve to know about their family members and participate in recognition efforts
Assumptions
- Historical injustices create ongoing moral obligations for current institutions
- Formal acknowledgment and reparative action can meaningfully address past harms
- The state has a duty of care toward children in its custody that extends beyond their deaths
- Racial disparities in historical treatment continue to influence current juvenile justice outcomes
- Transparency and accountability are essential for preventing future institutional failures