Criminal justice client rehabs are available as a far better option than time in jail or heavy fines for those who have already been convicted of any sort of drug or alcohol related crime. For instance, anyone who has been in prison for driving drunk of drugs or alcohol may qualify to get rehabilitation services for their problem instead of serving time in jail. The judge may even order the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or in addition to other sentencing. First-time offenders in particular will often be given the chance to choose a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they make the most of it if it's a possibility. The idea behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more efficient and effective to invest time and energy into treatment than punishment. Much research has been carried out to see how effective this method 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 that do experience rehabilitation have better chance of remaining out of the system following rehab.