Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as a significantly better option than incarceration or significant fines for many who have already been convicted of any kind of drug or alcohol related crime. For instance, someone who has been in prison for driving while impaired of alcohol or drugs may be eligible to receive rehab services because of their problem as an alternative to serving time in jail. The judge might order the individual receive treatment, either alone or together with other consequences. First-time offenders specifically tend to be given the ability to select a criminal justice client rehab as opposed to other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they take advantage of it if it is a possibility. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is it is far more efficient and effective to invest time and effort into treatment than punishment. Much research has been completed to discover how effective this approach 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 that take part in rehab have a much better chance of remaining out of the judicial system following rehabilitation.