Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as a far better option than time in jail or significant fines for those who have already been convicted of any kind of alcohol or drug related crime. For example, anyone who has been found guilty of driving drunk of alcohol or drugs may qualify to obtain rehabilitation services for problem as an alternative to serving time in jail. The judge might order the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or in addition to other consequences. First time offenders in particular will often be given the ability to choose a criminal justice client rehab as opposed to other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they reap the benefits of it if it's an alternative. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more efficient and effective to invest time and effort into rehabilitation than punishment. Much research has been done to find out how effective this process is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. The signs and indicators appear to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who take part in rehab have a better chance of remaining out of the judicial system after rehabilitation.