Cryptic crossword clue
One sign suppressed by shamefaced prisons 14

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word PENITENTIARIES

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "prisons" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case prisons = penitentiaries.
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 PENITENTIARIES mean?

PENITENTIARIES noun
  1. A state or federal prison for convicted felons; (broadly) a prison.
  2. A priest in the Roman Catholic Church who administers the sacrament of penance.
  3. One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
  4. One who does penance.
  5. A small building in a monastery, or a part of a church, where penitents confessed.
  6. An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc.; run by a cardinal called the Grand Penitentiary who is appointed by the pope.
  7. An officer in some dioceses since 1215, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.

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