Criminal justice client rehabs are available as being a significantly better option than incarceration or heavy fines for many who have been convicted of any type of drug or alcohol related crime. As an example, somebody who has been in prison for driving while impaired of alcohol or drugs may qualify to obtain rehabilitation services because of their problem instead of serving time in prison. The judge could even order that the individual receive treatment, either alone or in addition to other consequences. First-time offenders specifically in many cases are given the ability to select a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is well-advised they take advantage of it if it's a choice. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is much more efficient and effective to invest time and energy into rehab than punishment. Much research has been done to find out how effective this process is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. All indicators appear to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who take part in rehabilitation have a much better chance of remaining out of the system following rehabilitation.