Noun
ticket of leave (plural tickets of leave)
(UK, historical) A licence or permit given to a convict or prisoner to go out and work before the expiration of his sentence, subject to certain conditions.
English Wikipedia has an article on:ticket of leaveWikipedia
ticket-of-leave (plural tickets-of-leave)
A permit once granted to convicts allowing them to leave prison under certain circumstances; used especially of convicts transported to the British colonies
ticket of leave