Do the same as prisoner with criminal record (7)
I believe the answer is:
conform
'do the same' is the definition.
(conforming is doing the same as everybody else)
'prisoner with criminal record' is the wordplay.
'prisoner' becomes 'con' (abbreviation for 'convict').
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'criminal record' becomes 'form' (I've seen this in other clues).
'con'+'form'='CONFORM'
'as' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for conform that I've seen before include "Follow the crowd" , "Comply with accepted rules" , "Keep to rules or general custom" , "Follow the herd" , "Toe the line" .)