Cryptic crossword clue
Bent police, ultimately: head is out of prison first 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PRONENESS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
R
O
N
E
N
E
S
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Bent" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case bent = proneness.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PRONENESS mean?

PRONENESS noun
  1. The quality or state of being prone, or of bending downward.
  2. The state of lying with the face down.
  3. Descent; declivity.
  4. Inclination of mind, heart, or temper; propension; disposition.

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