Criminal justice client rehabs are available being a far better option than prison time or heavy fines for many who have already been convicted of any type of drug or alcohol related crime. For example, somebody who has been in prison for driving drunk of drugs or alcohol may qualify for rehabilitation services because of their problem rather than serving time in prison. The judge could even order that the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or as well as other sentencing. First time offenders in particular are often given the opportunity to select a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is highly recommended they take advantage of it when it is a possibility. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more effective and efficient to invest effort and time into rehabilitation than punishment. Much research has been done to discover how effective this process 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 that do experience treatment have better potential for remaining out of the judicial system following rehabilitation.