Criminal justice client rehabs are available as a far better option than time in jail or heavy fines for many who have been convicted of any type of alcohol or drug related crime. For example, somebody who has been in prison for driving while impaired of drugs or alcohol may qualify to get rehab services because of their problem instead of serving time in prison. The judge might order that the individual receive rehab, either alone or along with other sentencing. First time offenders specifically are often given the opportunity choose a criminal justice client rehab rather than other sentencing, and it is highly recommended they take advantage of it if it's an option. The idea behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more effective and efficient to invest time and energy into rehabilitation than punishment. Much research has been done to see how effective this strategy is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following rehabilitation. All indicators seem to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do take part in treatment have better chance of remaining out of the judicial system following treatment.