Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as being a significantly better option than time in jail or significant fines for many who have been convicted of any kind of alcohol or drug related crime. As an example, someone who has been in prison for driving while impaired of drugs or alcohol may be eligible for rehab services for his or her problem rather than serving time in jail. The judge could even order the individual receive treatment, either alone or in addition to other consequences. Very first time offenders in particular tend to be given the opportunity choose a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is highly recommended they make the most of it if it is an alternative. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more effective and efficient to invest time and energy into treatment than punishment. Much research has been done to see how effective this approach is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. All indicators seem to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who take part in rehab have a better probability of remaining out of the judicial system after rehabilitation.