Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered like a considerably better option than time in jail or heavy fines for many who have already been convicted of any type of alcohol or drug related crime. For instance, someone who has been in prison for driving while impaired of drugs or alcohol may be eligible to obtain treatment services for their problem rather than serving time in prison. The judge may even order the individual receive rehab, either alone or in addition to other sentencing. First-time offenders in particular are often given the opportunity choose a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is well-advised they take advantage of it if it is an alternative. The concept behind criminal justice client rehabs is it is way more efficient and effective to invest time and effort into treatment than punishment. Much research has been completed to find out how effective this strategy is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehabilitation. The signs and indicators appear to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do take part in treatment have a better potential for remaining out of the judicial system following rehab.