Criminal justice client rehabs are available as a considerably better option than prison time or significant fines for individuals who have been convicted of any type of alcohol or drug related crime. By way of example, anyone who has been found guilty of driving while impaired of alcohol or drugs may be eligible to get rehab services for their problem instead of serving time in prison. The judge might even order that the individual receive treatment, either alone or along with other consequences. First-time offenders in particular will often be given the chance to choose a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they take advantage of it if it is an alternative. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is much more effective and efficient to invest effort and time into rehab than punishment. Much research has been completed to observe how effective this approach is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehabilitation. The signs and indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do take part in treatment have a better potential for remaining out of the system after rehab.