Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered being a considerably better option than prison time or heavy fines for many who have been convicted of any kind of alcohol or drug related crime. For example, someone who has been in prison for driving while impaired of drugs or alcohol may be eligible to get rehabilitation services for problem rather than serving time in prison. The judge might even order the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or as well as other consequences. First time offenders specifically tend to be given the ability to pick a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is well-advised they take advantage of it if it's a possibility. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more effective and efficient to invest time and energy into treatment than enforcement of other consequences. Much research has been done to discover how effective this approach is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. All indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do experience rehab have better potential for remaining out of the system after rehabilitation.