Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered being a significantly better option than jail time or significant fines for many who have been convicted of any type of alcohol or drug related crime. As an example, somebody who has been in prison for driving drunk of alcohol or drugs may be eligible to get rehabilitation services for their problem as an alternative to serving time in prison. The judge may even order the individual receive treatment, either alone or along with other consequences. First-time offenders specifically in many cases are given the chance to select a criminal justice client rehab instead of other sentencing, and it is well-advised they reap the benefits of it if it is an option. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is much more efficient and effective to invest time and energy into rehab than punishment. Much research has been completed to find out 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 that do experience rehabilitation have better chance of remaining out of the judicial system after rehabilitation.