Join the Military or Go to Jail?

My father served in the Army during the Korean War and told me that many of the soldiers he served alongside with were in the Army as an alternative to prison. Several Vietnam-era vets have told me they've served with military members who were told by a judge, "Join the Military, or go to jail."

Can courts still do that? Can a criminal court judge sentence a person to military service as an alternative to jail? Can a prosecutor mandate that someone join the military as an alternative to criminal prosecution?