Criminal justice client rehabs are available as a significantly better option than time in jail or significant fines for those who have already been convicted of any kind of drug or alcohol related crime. By way of example, a person who has been in prison for driving drunk of drugs or alcohol may qualify for rehab services for their problem as an alternative to serving time in prison. The judge could even order the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or as well as other consequences. First time offenders specifically are often given the opportunity to pick a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they make the most of it if it is a choice. The idea behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more efficient and effective to invest time and energy into treatment than punishment. Much research has been done to see how effective this method is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. All indicators seem to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients that experience rehabilitation have a better probability of remaining out of the system after treatment.