Researchers locate over 1,000 child graves at historic juvenile detention sites across the U.S.

A team from Georgetown University's Center for Youth Justice has documented graves of over 1,000 children at 40 former reform schools and youth detention centers spanning 29 states, the most extensive site being near the historic House of Reformation in Cheltenham, Maryland, where more than 230 Black boys are buried with modest headstones. Family members such as Veronica Spears discovered the connection after learning a relative died at the institution at age 12.

The researchers also found rows of gray cinder blocks marking additional unknown burials, believed to include Spears' great-uncle Arthur Hamilton. The project has uncovered similar burial grounds from Salem, Oregon to Augusta, Maine, some adjacent to operating facilities. In response, Maryland established a commission within the attorney general's office to identify all children interred at Cheltenham and recommend reparations, while Florida and Arkansas have initiated financial funds and memorials for victims of comparable institutions.