Criminal justice clients are a significant percentage of clients who are currently taking part in alcohol and drug treatment programs in Mercedes and across the nation. Judicial systems in the U.S. often find it more helpful to treat people who have ended up in the court system for drug related crimes, instead of penalizing them in vain with time in jail and other penalties. It is proven to be more effective to address the trouble of drug addiction directly, rather than invoke such penalties. The majority of individuals who do not end up in alcohol and drug rehabilitation will typically turn right back up in the criminal justice hamster wheel, while criminal justice clients in drug and alcohol treatment generally don't fall back into drug use and have a much better chance at staying abstinent and out of the court system completely.