Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as being a far better option than time in jail or heavy fines for those who have been convicted of any kind of drug or alcohol related crime. By way of example, someone who has been in prison for driving while impaired of alcohol or drugs may be eligible to get treatment services because of their problem instead of serving time in prison. The judge might even order the individual receive rehab, either alone or together with other sentencing. First-time offenders specifically will often be given the opportunity go with a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they take advantage of it if it's an alternative. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more effective and efficient to invest commitment into rehab than punishment. Much research has been done to discover how effective this process is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. The signs and indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients that experience rehab have better potential for remaining out of the system after treatment.