Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as a significantly better option than incarceration or significant fines for those who have been convicted of any sort of drug or alcohol related crime. As an example, someone who has been in prison for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may qualify to get treatment services because of their problem as an alternative to serving time in jail. The judge might order that the individual receive rehabilitation, either alone or along with other consequences. First time offenders in particular tend to be given the opportunity pick a criminal justice client rehab rather than other sentencing, and it is well-advised they benefit from it if it is a choice. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more efficient and effective to invest time and effort into rehab than punishment. Much research has been done to find out how effective this strategy is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the individual returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. All indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do take part in rehabilitation have a better potential for remaining out of the system after rehabilitation.