Over 1,000 children are buried at juvenile detention centers nationwide

Oct 7, 2026 · Jenny Abamu

Originally published by NPR News Read the original

Over 1,000 children are buried at juvenile detention centers nationwide

Grave markers for Black boys that died while at the House of Reformation in Cheltenham, Md., in the forested area adjacent to the Maryland Veterans Cemetery.

Researchers uncovered the graves of more than 1,000 children next to juvenile detention facilities in 29 states. At one Maryland gravesite, 230 Black boys are buried.

(Image credit: Tyrone Turner/WAMU for NPR)