Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered like a considerably better option than incarceration or significant fines for individuals who have already been convicted of any type of drug or alcohol related crime. For instance, someone who has been in prison for driving drunk of drugs or alcohol may qualify to obtain rehab services because of their problem as an alternative to serving time in jail. The judge could even order that the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or along with other consequences. First time offenders in particular will often be given the chance to go with a criminal justice client rehab rather than other sentencing, and it is highly recommended that they take advantage of it if it's a choice. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is it is far more efficient and effective to invest effort and time into rehab than punishment. Much research has been completed to find out how effective this approach 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 that do take part in treatment have a much better potential for remaining out of the judicial system following rehabilitation.