Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered like a considerably better option than jail time or significant fines for those who have already been convicted of any kind of drug or alcohol related crime. For example, somebody who has been found guilty of dui of drugs or alcohol may be eligible for rehab services for his or her problem rather than serving time in prison. The judge could even order the individual receive treatment, either alone or together with other consequences. First-time offenders specifically will often be given the opportunity go with a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is highly recommended that they make the most of it if it is an alternative. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more effective and efficient to invest time and energy into rehab than punishment. Much research has been carried out to observe how effective this approach is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. The signs and indicators appear to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who experience rehab have better chance of remaining out of the system after rehabilitation.