Final answer:
The Massachusetts General Court's prescribed sentence for leaving the colony relates to historical legislative acts and the turbulent times during which the Massachusetts Bay Company and the Great Migration shaped the colony.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to a historical period when the Massachusetts General Court prescribed a sentence of three years of hard labor for those who left the colony. Understanding the context requires a look at the period when Boston was established as the capital of the colony during the English "Great Migration" to Massachusetts Bay, and the influence of the Massachusetts Bay Company as a governing body based on church membership. The question could be related to various historical acts, such as the Administration of Justice Act and the Massachusetts Government Act, part of the Coercive Acts intended to punish Massachusetts and suppress rebellions in the colony, which included punitive measures for those leaving the colony or disobeying colonial laws during turbulent times, as hinted at in the historical information provided.