Get Involved in the Forgotten Children Initiative

There are a few ways you or your organization can join the Forgotten Children Initiative to remember the lives of incarcerated youth resting in unmarked graves.

Contact us at CenterForYouthJustice@georgetown.edu. 

Help us Research the House of Reformation

Do you know of someone who was sent to the House of Reformation or died there between 1872 and 1939? Tragically, we have only begun to scratch the surface of revitalizing the memories and humanity of the forgotten children. Whether personally or professionally, you may have access to missing pieces in this puzzle. 

Not Just Maryland

The House of Reformation, sadly, is not unique. Unmarked and lost graves adjoining youth prisons are likely present in states across the country.  It is a moral duty for us to help expand this work, collaborate with other states, and launch similar projects to rediscover the lives of those lost and buried. Do you know of other burial grounds for incarcerated children in your community?

Share Their Stories

As the Initiative grows, we’ll be conducting research into the sites of unmarked graves, recollecting stories of the lives of the children resting in them, and developing resources and calls to action that can drive transformation today. It may be easy to think that this is an initiative about the past, but the past is with us. We need to ensure that all of our country’s forgotten children–whether laying under a cinderblock grave, or sitting in detention today–are treated with dignity and humanity.