Chinese courts hand down the sentence of "death sentence with two years' probation" as frequently as, or more often than,they do actual death sentences. This unique sentence is used to emphasize the seriousness of the crime and the mercy of the court, and has a centuries-old history in Chinese jurisprudence. It almost always reduced to life or 10 to 15 years imprisonment if no new crime is intentionally committed during the two year probationary period.