Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered being a significantly better option than incarceration or heavy fines for those who have already been convicted of any sort of drug or alcohol related crime. For example, somebody who has been found guilty of driving while impaired of alcohol or drugs may qualify for rehab services for his or her problem as an alternative to serving time in prison. The judge might even order the individual receive treatment, either alone or along with other sentencing. First-time offenders specifically will often be given the ability to choose a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is well-advised they make the most of it if it is a choice. The idea behind criminal justice client rehabs is it is way more effective and efficient to invest effort and time into rehab than punishment. Much research has been done to observe how effective this process is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. All indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do experience rehabilitation have a better chance of remaining out of the system after rehab.