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Message: <blockquote data-quote="haakon1" data-source="post: 6189296" data-attributes="member: 25619">Compassionate release of criminals is an element in many legal systems, for the US to China. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassionate_release" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassionate_release</a>It's so common in detective fiction, there's a trope for it: <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LetOffByTheDetective" target="_blank">http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LetOffByTheDetective</a>Off the top of my head, I can think of 4 examples of the "compassionate leave" I saw recently in cop shows:1) Foyle's War.  Foyle does this is often, and poignantly.  I've been watching some Foyle re-runs, so these are old but good.  A young fisherman is in jail as a "person of interest" in a homicide. His father says he needs him to operate his small boat.  For Dunkirk.  He promises he will bring him back.  Foyle lets him go.  The father returns with the body of the young fisherman -- killed by strafing while helping troops onto the little boat, but, as the father says, "I promised to bring him back, and bring him back I did."2) Foyle's War.  Foyle discovers that his son's wingman in the RAF is gay, and killed, possibly accidentally, possibly not so much, his girlfriend who discovered his secret and threatened to tell.  The call comes in for an air raid.  Foyle lets him go up in his Spitfire.  He takes on German fighters head on and downs a few in a daring action, but is killed.  Suicide by heroism we and Foyle know, but his son and the RAF are none the wiser.3) Sleepy Hollow (a new show).  Second episode it's revealed that the main cop was arrested for breaking into a pharmacy to steal drugs as a teen.  The sheriff told her she had to choose if she wanted to be a bad person or a good person from that moment on.  She said "good", so he let go with no charges.  She cleaned up and grew up to become a deputy.4) Hawaii 5-0 (current incarnation).  There's a recurring gangster they've let out for various reasons.  If I remember correctly, once it was to see his ex and kid, on the stipulation that he return for testify.  I think he actually did so, honorably, but I may be remembering wrong.</blockquote>

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