There were a few on my ship who had a choice: jail or Navy.
...ditto.....there were a small number of E-3s and E-2s in my “A” school who had fun afoul of the law in some fashion or the other and were given the choice by a judge to join the Navy or go to jail.....if I recall they were not good sailors and BMCd (Bitched, Moaned and Complained...) through most of their hitch....
“””””There were a few on my ship who had a choice: jail or Navy.”””””
Or so they said.
When a good young man got into trouble for being too wild the judge might steer him into the military, but that was for being wild, it was not after fighting for and winning a conviction for whatever minor offense it was, it was a trick by the grown-ups.