A TASTE OF THANKSGIVING AT A JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER

ROCKVILLE – Jeannie’s only daughter sat next to her Tuesday, during a pre-Thanksgiving lunchtime at a Maryland detention center for teens. Metal tins brimed with shredded turkey meat, ham and macaroni and cheese, and traces of saffron and pepper filled the air.

This is the third year in a row that the teenage girl has been in a juvenile center during the holiday. Years ago, although she is a vegetarian, Jeannie used to cook a turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie — all her daughter’s favorites.

But now, the two eat on paper plates and sit on mismatched chairs at a small round table decked with orange and tan balloons in the multipurpose room at the Alfred D. Noyes Children’s Center.
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