Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as a significantly better option than jail time or significant fines for those who have already been convicted of any sort of drug or alcohol related crime. As an example, a person who has been found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol may be eligible for rehab services because of their problem instead of serving time in prison. The judge might even order that the individual receive rehab, either alone or in addition to other sentencing. First-time offenders specifically in many cases are given the chance to choose a criminal justice client rehab as opposed to other sentencing, and it is well-advised they benefit from it if it's a possibility. The idea behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is much more efficient and effective to invest commitment into treatment than punishment. Much research has been completed to observe how effective this strategy is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. All indicators seem to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who experience rehab have better potential for remaining out of the system following rehab.