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Six graduate from DORE program since its inception
Kenneth Teigita Dowai, middle, is completely discharged following his Drug Offender Re-entry program graduation at the District Court for the NMI yesterday. (Kimberly A. Bautista)
The District Court for the NMI Drug Offender Re-entry program or DORE now has six graduates since its inception in Jan. 26, 2016, making Kenneth Teigita Dowai the program’s sixth graduate to date.
Dowai completed the federal court’s DORE program last Tuesday with a graduation hearing, during which Dowai expressed gratitude to his family for their support.
“This is the life I will never trade for anything. So for all the people around me and out there in the world that are struggling with drug addiction, quit now and you will gain more respect than you ever expected in your life,” he said.
Since entering the program 12 months ago, Dowai said he has learned to control his violent tendencies, has learned to read, write, has gotten his general education diploma, and is currently employed.
Dowai was sentenced to a prison term of 48 months and three years’ probation for robbery with a firearm back in 2000.
In 2008, he was sentenced to a prison term of 96 months and three years’ probation for assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury in California. The case was transferred to the District Court for the NMI 2017.
Dowai’s term of supervised released started on March 27, 2018 and his expected supervision expiration date for both cases was June 8, 2020 but because Dowai was sober for seven months straight, the DORE team recommended that his term of supervised release be reduced.
District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona Manglona discharged Dowai from supervised release and he is now completely free.
DORE is a post-incarceration cooperative effort program of the district court, the U.S. Probation Office, the federal public defender, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The program provides treatment and sanction alternatives to address re-integration into the community for non-violent, substance abuse offenders released from federal prison.
