Inmate rips off one close to warder (8)
I believe the answer is:
prisoner
'inmate' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'rips off one close to warder' is the wordplay.
'off' indicates an anagram.
'close to' says to take the final letters (the 'close' to the word).
The last letter of 'warder' is 'r'.
'rips' is an anagram of 'pris'.
'pris'+'one'+'r'='PRISONER'
(Other definitions for prisoner that I've seen before include "One locked up" , "Captive or criminal in jail" , "Person behind bars" , "Person held captive as by law" , "One inside" .)