Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury announced on Monday that periodic detention would be abolished by 2016-17, with the Periodic Detention Centre in Symonston set to close.

The move means periodic detention will no longer be used anywhere in Australia.

Weekend detention - which in the ACT starts on Friday night and continue until Sunday afternoon - is designed to keep offenders with good prospect of rehabilitation away from full-time imprisonment.

That is due to the belief that allowing some offenders to remain in the community on weekdays allows them to continue work and have the support of their family network, thereby increasing their chances of rehabilitation.

The ACT became the last remaining state or territory to use the sentencing option when NSW shut down weekend detention in 2010.

Mr Rattenbury said the ACT wanted to shift to community supervision and mandatory participation in community programs to replace periodic detention. He said such an approach would ''more effectively deliver on our goals of rehabilitation and reduced rates of incarceration''.

But the ACT Bar Association has expressed concern at the decision, saying it appeared to be designed to cut costs. President Greg Stretton, SC, said the decision was made without any consultation with the Bar or other stakeholders.

''It is understood that the reason behind the decision is based on cost considerations and not a reasoned decision based on principle,'' Mr Stretton said. ''The Bar is especially concerned to avoid a situation where courts will be forced to impose a term of full time imprisonment in the absence of alternatives that are legislated, funded and operational.''

But Mr Rattenbury defended the announcement, saying it was based on internal Correction advice on best practice, and now allowed a two to thee year window for consultation and the significant reforms needed to make sure the plan worked.

He said he was extremely conscious of the need to give the judiciary sufficient sentencing options other than full time imprisonment, and would ensure the proposals had their confidence.

Mr Rattenbury also said that it would allow for the reinvestment of resources into community supervision, rather than a chance to cut costs. Mr Stretton said the Bar was attracted by the proposal to shift to intensive community orders in principle, but said they were typically used by courts in place of full time imprisonment.

The ACT Law Society said on Monday it was not surprised at the move, particularly given the ACT is the last of any Australian jurisdiction to employ it as a way for criminals to serve their time. But Society president Martin Hockridge said it was important that proper measures were in place to deal with offenders who would have otherwise been sentenced to weekend detention.

''It's always disappointing to see sentencing options disappearing,'' he said. ''So from the Law Society's point of view we would just hope that it's replaced with options that provide opportunity for rehabilitation.''

The government's announcement came before the completion of two relevant inquiries and reviews; the inquiry into sentencing in the ACT and the efficiency review of ACT Corrective Services.