Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered being a significantly better option than incarceration or significant fines for those who have already been convicted of any kind of alcohol or drug related crime. For example, anyone who has been found guilty of driving drunk of drugs or alcohol may qualify to get treatment services for problem instead of serving time in jail. The judge might order the individual receive treatment, either alone or along with other consequences. First-time offenders specifically will often be given the ability to go with a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they take advantage of it when it is a choice. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is much more effective and efficient to invest time and effort into rehabilitation than punishment. Much research has been completed to discover how effective this strategy is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. All indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients that take part in rehab have better potential for remaining out of the system after treatment.