Maryland moves to investigate the deaths of Black boys buried at a forgotten state institution

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• Maryland bill calls for investigation into deaths at youth facility
• Commission to investigate causes, neglect, and state policies
• Report due by 2029; restoration funds allocated

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More than a century after Black boys began dying at a segregated juvenile detention centre in Maryland, US, state lawmakers are finally moving toward a formal investigation into what happened behind its walls. A new bill introduced in the Maryland legislature would establish a commission to uncover how hundreds of children died while under state care and why their deaths were ignored for so long.

The legislation follows a series of investigations by The Washington Post, which revealed that at least 230 children died between 1870 and 1939 at the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children, a state-run facility in Prince George’s County. Many of the boys were buried nearby in graves that went unmarked or were identified only by cinder blocks, hidden for decades in a wooded area.

A bill driven by unanswered questions

The bill is sponsored by Jeffrie E. Long Jr., who has been pressing for accountability since lawmakers visited the cemetery last year. Speaking before a House committee, Long asked blunt questions that still have no clear answers: how did so many children die in state custody, what conditions led to their deaths, and why warnings were seemingly ignored.

Under the proposal, a commission led by the Maryland attorney general would investigate the facility’s operations, the causes of death, and the state policies that allowed abuse and neglect to persist. The commission would include descendants of the boys who were incarcerated, along with historians, forensic experts, and representatives appointed by state and county officials.

Long has been clear about the intent. These were not anonymous graves, he said, but children failed by the state. The goal is not only to document what happened but to ensure memorialisation, possible reburials, and public education so the story becomes part of Maryland’s historical record.

What the investigations uncovered

The scale of death at the institution only became clear recently. State juvenile services staff rediscovered more than 100 graves in recent years, prompting further scrutiny. A hobbyist researcher then uncovered death certificates and newspaper reports that pointed to widespread neglect and abuse.

A later, more comprehensive review of state records by the Post showed the death toll was far higher than previously believed. Many of the boys died from illnesses that suggest poor living conditions, while others showed signs consistent with mistreatment. For decades, these deaths remained largely unexamined by the state.

Why the attorney general will lead

An earlier draft of the bill called for an independent investigation, reflecting concerns among members of the Legislative Black Caucus that the state might struggle to investigate itself. That approach was later changed.

Long said the shift reflects confidence in the attorney general’s experience running similar commissions and a desire to keep the effort financially viable. A parallel bill in the state senate explicitly assigns leadership to the attorney general’s office, and a vote on that version is expected soon.

The commission is expected to issue a final report by 2029.

Funding and parallel efforts

The state has already begun allocating money toward restoration and research. Last year, the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services secured grant funding to start work at the site. Governor Wes Moore has pledged additional funds in the current budget.

Outside government, research is also underway. Former juvenile services official Marc Schindler recently launched the Forgotten Children Initiative at Georgetown University to study deaths at the House of Reformation and similar institutions nationwide, including efforts to identify victims and trace living relatives.

A long-delayed reckoning

Supporters of the bill describe it as a moral obligation. The institution operated during an era of open segregation, when Black children were routinely subjected to harsher treatment and fewer protections. Investigating those deaths, officials argue, is not about revisiting the past for its own sake but about acknowledging state responsibility.

For families who may only now be learning what happened to their relatives, the process may offer long-overdue recognition. For Maryland, the bill represents an attempt to confront a buried chapter of its history and decide whether accountability can still be meaningfully pursued, even generations later.