Cryptic crossword clue
What you might see in prisoners’ exercise yard is compelling 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word CONSTRAINING

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

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

CONSTRAINING verb
  1. To force physically, by strong persuasion or pressuring; to compel; to oblige.
  2. To keep within close bounds; to confine.
  3. To reduce a result in response to limited resources.
CONSTRAINING noun
  1. The act by which something is constrained.

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