Criminal justice client rehabs are available as being a far better option than prison time or significant 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 drugs or alcohol may qualify to get treatment services for their problem rather than serving time in prison. The judge might even order that the individual receive treatment, either alone or along with other sentencing. First time offenders in particular will often be given the opportunity to choose a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is well-advised they make the most of it if it is an option. The idea behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more efficient and effective to invest time and effort into rehab than punishment. Much research has been done to find out how effective this approach is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. The signs and indicators appear to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients that do take part in treatment have better chance of remaining out of the system after rehab.