Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as a significantly better option than prison time or significant fines for those who have been convicted of any kind of alcohol or drug related crime. As an example, someone who has been in prison for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be eligible to get rehabilitation services for his or her problem instead of serving time in prison. The judge may even order the individual receive rehab, either alone or together with other sentencing. First time offenders specifically will often be given the ability to choose a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is well-advised that they benefit from it when it is a possibility. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is far more effective and efficient to invest time and energy into treatment than enforcement of other consequences. Much research has been completed to observe how effective this strategy 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 who do experience rehabilitation have a much better possibility of remaining out of the system following treatment.