My grandma *did* put me in juvie, and she never got custody back. I was deemed 'incorrigible'. In other words, I didn't obey my grandma, just pretty much did what I wanted. I remember one night I told her I'd be back at 3 AM or so. She said she hadn't approved that, and I replied, "I wasn't *asking*." I was a little prick.

So I went into juvie at 16, and from there to a foster family (who were really quite nice). They threatened to keep me in the juvenile court system until I turned 21 (which they can do, btw). I countered by proposing that I join the Army, which they found acceptable, and I joined the Army at 17 (although I was close to 18).

Don't be such a whiny pussy. Blaming your life on the fact that your father isn't around, that's just BS. Be a man, take responsibility for your own life. My father left when I was 5 (not prison, just bailed on us), my mother died when I was 12 and almost took me with her. I went to 18 different schools by the age of 12, at least. We were poor, foodstamps, welfare, shitty clothes, bad food and often no food, all that jazz. So what? Life is about overcoming obstacles, or being crushed by them. If you don't want to be crushed by them, you better start making a plan to overcome them. Here's a tip: smoking pot won't help you overcome the obstacles life has thrown at you. Get your shit together, *then* smoke pot.