A number of people have been let out of Cambridgeshire prisons early as the Government try to crack down on overcrowding in jails.

More than 1,700 prisoners were released on September 10 across England and Wales, with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirming that around 5,500 offenders will be released in total in September and October.

There are three different prisons in Cambridgeshire - HMP Littlehey, HMP Whitemoor and HMP Peterborough.

HMP Littlehey is a Category C male prison in Perry, near Huntingdon. 

HMP Whitemoor is a Category A male prison near March.

HMP Peterborough is a Category B private prison for men and a closed prison for women and female young offenders in Peterborough.

How many prisoners have been let out of these Cambridgeshire prisons early?

  • HMP Littlehey - 2 people
  • HMP Whitemoor - 0
  • HMP Peterborough - 32 people

Eligible prisoners who have served only 40 per cent of their fixed term sentence are those who have been released. 

Those who are in jail for serious violent offences with sentences of four years or more, as well as sex offenders, are not included.

Keep up to date with the latest news across Cambridgeshire by signing up to our Breaking News email alerts here

Additionally, those convicted of domestic abuse will be excluded from the scheme alongside what the government calls "connected crimes", such as stalking and controlling or coercive behaviours.

It only applies to a certain type of sentence, under which prisoners are automatically released after a set amount of time.

More serious offenders serving life sentences, for example, are only released after the Parole Board has assessed whether they still pose a risk.

Anyone released will be monitored by the Probation Service and this could involve the use of electronic tagging and curfews.

A spokesperson for HM Chief Inspector of Probation said: "I am aware huge efforts have been made by the Probation Service to prepare for today and I applaud those efforts.

"This hard work will continue in the coming weeks and months, but, while the 8-week notice period before the first releases has given them a fighting chance, it does not change the fact there are too few staff, many of whom lack experience, managing too many cases."