I am Alex Crotsley’s mother as a parent we try to guide our children and protect them. I love my son and what has happened to him breaks my heart. I have stood besides him with trying to get help with his mental illnesses through this arrest to his plea deal. It devastated me to feel hopeless not be able to get the help he needed for his mental illnesses. I believe in my heart that this crime would have never happened if he could have got the help he needed. My son had no prior criminal history, he never had even a ticket.We are asking for commutation(pardon) of sentence for Alex Crotsley. Alex was diagnosed with Bipolar- Schizophrenia in 2016. Because of the lack of mental health services Alex committed a crime that could have been prevented if he would have received the help he needed.The end of July 2016 one week before Alex committed the crime we begged our family physician to place Alex. She put him on a waiting list but it would be three months before he could be placed. Alex has been incarcerated since August 2016. Alex took a plea deal in 2018 because he felt pressured into taken the deal. As a family we have never been through criminal court and did not know what to do.Alex feels remorse for the crime he committed and feels as though if he could have got the help he needed he would not be where he is today. Alex has been participating in a mental health group, taking the prescribed medications for his mental illness’s ,working within the prison, and offering to help when needed. Alex received a regents diploma in HS, graduated from Boces with a electrical degree, he played football, he wrestled, and held a job- if you ask family, friends, coaches, teachers about Alex they would tell you he has a kind heart, smart, hard worker never would anyone imagine he would end up where he is today. When visiting Alex or speaking with him on the phone over and over again he says “ Mom I just want to come home” every time I feel a piece of my heart being torn. I believe that if commutation of sentence is granted Alex will not repeat any crime and will strive to be upstanding citizen.Alex has a strong family support system that will help to see Alex thrive in life and will support him.