Unmarked Graves, Unfinished Justice

By Terri Collins-Green
Director of Social Work, Maryland Office of Public Defender
Board Member, National Association for Public Defense (NAPD)

In Maryland, the bodies of more than one hundred unidentified Black children were found in unmarked graves. These children—detained nearly 150 years ago at the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Boys—were left nameless, buried without dignity, and erased from memory.

We hear their voices in the wind, faint whispers of heartbreak and pain. They are a reminder that the “Free State” was not free for all. For these children, there was no equal protection under the law. Instead, there was confinement, neglect, and, ultimately, silence.

Today, as Maryland and the nation confront this uncomfortable truth, we are called to more than remembrance. We are called to action.

A Legacy That Still Lives

The injustice of these unmarked graves is not an isolated wound of the past. Maryland still ranks near the top nationally for sending children to adult courts—a pipeline that deepens trauma and denies young people the chance to grow and heal.

The graves beside the Cheltenham site are a chilling reminder that when we fail to center compassion and equity in our systems, children pay the price. And too often, they are Black children, caught in structures designed to punish rather than nurture.

This is the unfinished work of justice. As a public defender social worker, I believe true justice requires us to:

• Name and remember the children lost, ensuring they are honored with dignity and truth.
• Acknowledge the moral injury inflicted by state institutions that failed in their duty of care.
• Reform juvenile justice so no child is abandoned, erased, or denied the opportunity for restoration.
• Build systems rooted in compassion, equity, and holistic support—because accountability must include healing.

A Place for Action: NAPD Family Defense Conference

This week hundreds of public defenders, social workers, and advocates will gather in Seattle for the NAPD Family Defense Conference. Together, we will reflect on our collective responsibility to protect children and families and reimagine a system that restores rather than destroys.  The conference is more than training—it is a movement. It is a space to learn, to grieve, to strategize, and to build solutions that honor the humanity of every child and family we serve. 

Join the Call

The unmarked graves of Maryland’s children are a sorrowful national testament to what happens when we fail to see children as worthy of care. But they also carry a charge for us today: to do better, to defend boldly, and to fight for systems that value life over punishment. If you work in family defense, let us honor these children not only with remembrance, but with action. What actions can you take?