Criminal justice client rehabs can be considered as being a significantly better option than time in jail or heavy fines for those who have already been convicted of any sort of alcohol or drug related crime. By way of example, somebody who has been in prison for driving while impaired of drugs or alcohol may qualify to receive rehabilitation services for problem rather than serving time in prison. The judge might even order that the individual receive rehab, either alone or along with other consequences. First time offenders specifically will often be given the opportunity to pick a criminal justice client rehab as an alternative to other sentencing, and it is well-advised they reap the benefits of it if it is a possibility. The theory behind criminal justice client rehabs is that it is way more effective and efficient to invest effort and time into rehab than punishment. Much research has been done to see how effective this process is on recidivism rates, i.e. if the criminal justice client returns or not to criminal justice system following treatment. All indicators appear to be quite positive, and criminal justice clients who do experience rehabilitation have a better potential for remaining out of the system following rehabilitation.