Maryland legislators are seeking answers for the backstory behind the recent discovery of over 230 Black children’s bodies found buried near a state-run facility. As previously reported by theGrio, last year members of Maryland’s Legislative Black Caucus toured the grave site, which held the 200+ bodies of Black boys who died in the late 19th/early 20th centure while confined to the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children, a state-run juvenile detention facility in Prince George’s County.
Since this discovery, state legislators have vowed to restore the site and honor the lives that were lost. Now, Maryland is looking to pass a new bill to establish a commission led by the attorney general to investigate what happened inside the Prince George’s County facility. As reported by the Washington Post, the commission will include local officials from the Maryland General Assembly and Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, state-chosen appointees, and relatives of the boys previously incarcerated at the House of Reformation. Together, they will reportedly “conduct archaeological surveys, forensic analysis, historical research and meaningful descendant engagement,” and investigate the policies that led to their deaths under state custody.
“Let’s be very clear. These weren’t just any graves. They were neglected children by the state of Maryland,” Prince George’s County Del. Jeffrie E. Long Jr. noted. “How did so many children die in state custody? What were the conditions that led to their deaths? Were signs ignored?”
Long says the bill’s passage will allow the state to organize reburials, memorials, and educational initiatives that reflect a “shared understanding and accountability” for what occurred.
While Caucus members initially planned to push for an independent investigation into the issue, Maryland’s Attorney General’s strong precedent of similar commissions, paired with a desire to ensure proper funding, led to the finalized bill. Similarly, to ensure proper tracking, the bill would require the commission to submit a report by Dec. 31, 2027, documenting progress on the investigation and recommendations, with a final report due exactly two years later listing all the individuals identified and more.
“The state assumed responsibility for them in life, and we carry responsibility for them in death,” Long told the committee, per Maryland Matters. “I want to be very clear, though, that this is more than just symbolism because naming the unnamed is not symbolic. It is an act of accountability, an act of dignity, an act of restoration.”
The bill will reportedly be heard before the Judicial Proceedings Committee next Wednesday.
