Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as being a far better option than time in jail or heavy fines for many who have been convicted of any kind of alcohol or drug related crime. As an example, a person who has been in prison for driving while impaired of alcohol or drugs may qualify to get rehab services for his or her problem as opposed to serving time in jail. The judge may even order the individual receive treatment, either alone or together with other consequences. First-time offenders in particular will often be given the opportunity select a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they take advantage of it if it's a choice. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more effective and efficient to invest time and energy into rehabilitation than punishment. Much research has been done to find out how effective this strategy is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. The signs and indicators seem to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do experience treatment have a better chance of remaining out of the judicial system following treatment.