Britney Spears' Father, Jamie, Breaks Silence on Conservatorship

Britney Spears' dad, Jamie Spears, is spilling his guts for the first time about the conservatorship and his role in it ... defending the legal apparatus by calling it necessary.

Jamie spoke to the Daily Mail, explaining that he feels like he saved Britney's life and career by putting her in a conservatorship all those years ago ... noting that, for a time, it was working pretty well for her -- getting her back on track music/performing-wise.

He says, "Not everybody's going to agree with me. It's been one hell of a time. But I love my daughter with all my heart and soul. Where would Britney be right now without that conservatorship? And I don't know if she'd be alive. I don't."

JS also says the conservatorship allowed Britney to have a relationship with her children -- Jayden and Sean -- adding ... "For protecting her, and also protecting the kids, conservatorship was a great tool. Without it, I don't think she would have got the kids back."

Jamie also says he himself deeply misses Sean and Jayden, touching on a falling-out in recent years following an altercation where he was alleged to have gotten physical with one of them. In the wake of that, it seems things are still touchy -- although, Jamie says he's back in touch with their dad, Kevin Federline, and that he's hopeful for a reunion one day.

Of his family as a whole, Jamie says ... "The family's a mess. All we can do is keep praying." Another somewhat shocking claim he makes -- that it was he and Kevin who actually raised the boys together, which is why not being with them hurts so much.

Back to the conservatorship ... he once again sticks by his decision to start one for Britney, saying it allowed her to have a semblance of a normal life again, and pulled her out of financial ruin. Despite a lot of allegations that have been made by both Britney, her lawyer and her legion of #FreeBritney fans ... Jamie says no one really knows the truth.

He says, "I don't mind taking that beating because I know it's not true, and because I don't want to start something else. For my daughter to end up going further down the hole than she had been." He didn't address specific claims of Britney's -- including the notion that she was being spied on at one point, not to mention allegedly being overly-medicated/isolated.

On the issue of a reconciliation, Jamie made it seem like he was closer to coming together with Kevin and the boys before Britney -- he's not on speaking terms with her ... although, the report says he is living with or near her younger sister, Jamie Lynn, in Louisiana.