Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered being a significantly better option than prison time or significant fines for individuals who have been convicted of any type of alcohol or drug related crime. As an example, somebody who has been in prison for driving drunk of drugs or alcohol may qualify for rehab services because of their problem instead of serving time in jail. The judge could even order the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or together with other consequences. First-time offenders specifically will often be given the chance to pick a criminal justice client rehab rather than other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they make the most of it if it is a choice. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more effective and efficient to invest time and energy into rehab than punishment. Much research has been carried out 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 rehab. All indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients that do take part in rehabilitation have better potential for remaining out of the system following rehabilitation.