Attorney-General John Hatzistergos told a sentencing forum in Newcastle last week that the $3.7 million-a-year court and would be available to offenders throughout the Hunter Region because smaller communities had neither the resources nor the "clientel" to support their own.

"There were other drug programs being trialled that could suit those communities in the future," Mr Hatzistergos said.

The state's newest form of sentence, intensive corrections orders, will be available in the coming months, Mr Hatzistergos told the forum.

Judges and magistrates will be trained in the next few months on how to implement the orders and periodic detention would be phased out, Mr Hatzistergos said,

Offenders placed on the orders will perform community service and have access to drug and alcohol counselling and mental health services.

They will live in the community and be able to continue working if they have jobs.

The orders will only be available to offenders facing a jail term of up to two years and will not be available to sex offenders.

Offenders will have to abide by curfews and some will be electronically monitored.

There would be penalties for offenders who breached their orders and those who continually offend will eventually be imprisoned, Mr Hatzistergos said.

He was joined in the forum by former judge and Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioner Jerrold Cripps.

Also in attendance were QC, Howard Brown from the Victims of Crime Assistance League, and the state's Senior Public Defender Mark Ierace, SC.