Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as a considerably better option than jail time or heavy fines for individuals who have been convicted of any kind of drug or alcohol related crime. As an example, someone who has been in prison for driving while impaired of drugs or alcohol may qualify for treatment services for his or her problem as opposed to serving time in prison. The judge could even order that the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or along with other sentencing. First-time offenders in particular in many cases are given the opportunity pick a criminal justice client rehab as opposed to other sentencing, and it is highly recommended they take advantage of it when it is an alternative. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is it is much more effective and efficient 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 criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. All indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do experience rehab have better chance of remaining out of the system following rehab.