Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as a considerably better option than prison time or heavy fines for those who have already been convicted of any type of drug or alcohol related crime. By way of example, a person who has been in prison for driving while impaired of drugs or alcohol may qualify to receive rehab services because of their problem as an alternative to serving time in prison. The judge might order that the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or in addition to other sentencing. First time offenders in particular tend to be given the ability to pick a criminal justice client rehab as opposed to other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they benefit from it if it is an option. The concept behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more effective and efficient to invest commitment into treatment than punishment. Much research has been carried out to observe how effective this method is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehabilitation. The signs and indicators seem to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do take part in rehabilitation have better potential for remaining out of the system following rehab.