Regional barrister Bill Walsh, an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Law and Justice at Charles Sturt University, said the new regime was the biggest reform in sentencing in the last 20 years.

Mr Walsh said the aim was to provide offenders with rehabilitation programs so as to prevent their re-offending.

Under the reforms, offenders will be subject to greater supervision by Community Corrections Officers, which the government hopes will see fewer offenders spending time in jail.

An additional 200 Community Corrections Officers have been employed to implement the reforms.

Mr Walsh said that in recent years, the criminal justice system in NSW had reached breaking point with a massive increase in the prison population, which now stands at almost 14,000.

However, a significant number of those inmates are in jail just waiting for their court cases to be finalised.

“These prisoners on remand waiting finalisation of their cases just sit in prison idly waiting to have their case dealt with by the courts,” Mr Walsh said.

“They do not have the benefit of rehabilitation or work programs whilst they are on remand.”

Whether the sentencing reforms will result in a decrease in the prison population, Mr Walsh said it was a case of “only time will tell”.

Under the reforms, suspended sentences will be abolished. Good behaviour bonds without a conviction recorded will become Conditional Release Orders while those where a conviction is recorded will be called Community Correction Orders.

Mr Walsh said the present Intensive Correction Orders would be strengthened by greater supervision and may now include home detention. Monitoring of offenders in the community will be increased significantly.

“Domestic violence offenders will face stiffer penalties, there will a presumption that such offenders will receive either a prison term or a supervised order.”