Save My Grandson, Joshua Morris

Joshua Morris is my grandson. He is a 26 year old African American male who needs your help. Last year this time, Joshua was unemployed and couldn't pay his rent or support his family. So in desperation, he and a friend attempted to steal a catalytic converter from an abandon car. They were caught and arrested. In his mind, the funds from the catalytic converter would enable him to pay his rent to sustain a place for he and his family to live. His friend had never been in trouble before and was just trying to help Joshua raise the money. Both are charged with theft and can be sentenced up to 3 years in prison. Joshua should have asked family members to help with the rent, but his false ego led him to try to resolve the matter through thievery. Not a good choice. Joshua has been on house arrest for 9 months. He has not been able to raise the money he needs for his bail or to hire an attorney. The public defender has not told the judge about Joshua's history of bipolar disorder that he has had since grammar school, she said that she didn't think a mental illness defense would work. I just wanted her to let the judge know that Joshua has been classified as an ADHD (attention deficient hyperactivity disorder) most of his developmental years. His mom went to prison when Joshua was 8 years old and when she returned, she took Joshua and his elder brother and left her 2 younger sons with their father, my son. Each of the children handled their mothers incarceration differently. Joshua began stealing and displaying negative behaviors as a grammar school student. He was always in the "Special Ed Class," from 3rd grade until he dropped out in his 10th year of school.

I don't think he ever really learned how to control his anger or how to modify his behavior when he became angry. I use to tell my son Joshua needed therapy but he always said Joshua just wants attention, and he did, even if it was negative attention. Joshua needs help, he needs to work with a psychiatrist (a physician who specializes in the practice or science of diagnosing and treating mental disorders), he does not need to go to prison. He is a lovely father, a caring person, and has the capacity to develop his entrepreneurial skills into a legitimate business. Please help me keep a father home with his children.