Definition
A 'ticket-of-leave' was a document given to convicts in the British Empire, especially Australia, granting them conditional freedom before their full sentence was served. Think of it like parole, but from a time when being shipped off to Australia was a punishment 😅. It meant they could work and live relatively freely, but they had to stay out of trouble. Violating the conditions would land them back in prison, so it was a second chance with strict rules. Imagine it as a gamer getting a chance to respawn, but with a 'no rage-quitting' clause! This system was used to manage overcrowding in British prisons and to provide labor in the colonies.