Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered like a significantly better option than jail time or heavy fines for many who have already been convicted of any sort of drug or alcohol related crime. As an example, a person who has been in prison for dui of drugs or alcohol may be eligible to receive rehab services because of their problem as an alternative to 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 in particular in many cases are given the ability to pick a criminal justice client rehab rather than other sentencing, and it is highly recommended they take advantage of it if it is an alternative. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is it is far more efficient and effective to invest time and energy into rehab than punishment. Much research has been carried out to observe how effective this process is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following rehab. The signs and indicators seem quite positive, and criminal justice clients who take part in treatment have better chance of remaining out of the judicial system following treatment.