Criminal justice client rehabs are available as being a significantly better option than time in jail or heavy fines for those who have been convicted of any kind of alcohol or drug related crime. As an example, someone who has been in prison for dui of alcohol or drugs may qualify to get rehab services for his or her problem rather than serving time in jail. The judge could even order the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or along with other consequences. Very first time offenders specifically in many cases are given the opportunity choose a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is highly recommended they take advantage of it if it's a choice. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more effective and efficient to invest time and effort into treatment than punishment. Much research has been done to discover how effective this approach is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. The signs and indicators seem to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who experience rehab have a better chance of remaining out of the system after rehabilitation.