By Rhonda Cook

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta rap star T.I. is expected to be moved to a halfway house shortly after the first of the year as he nears the end of his federal prison sentence for illegal firearms possession and for possessing a gun as a convicted felon, officials confirmed Tuesday.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., began serving his sentence of a year and a day at a low-security prison in Arkansas last May. He is expected to be released from Bureau of  Prisons custody on March 23, after serving 85 percent of his sentence.

Bureau of Prisons spokesman Edmond Ross said it was customary for an inmate to transition from prison to freedom via a halfway house if there is no danger to the community and if there is space at a facility near where he is to live after his prison time.

Usually that process begins when there are 18 months remaining on a sentence, “but in this case it would have to start sooner. It’s not uncommon for inmates to be placed in community corrections for the last portion of their confinement to help with his transition.”

Harris also could spend the final month of his sentenced confined to his house, Ross said.

Harris pleaded guilty in 2008 to possessing two silencers, three machine guns, a rifle and six handguns. In total, federal officers found 24 handguns, machine guns and rifles in Harris' Range Rover and hree machine guns at his house in College Park.

Harris -- convicted  Cobb County in 1998  for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute -- he also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearms by a felon.

Federal agents targeted Harris in 2007 after they arrested his body guard, who bought guns from undercover agents.  He said the  three machine guns and two silencers were for Harris.

Shortly after the bodyguard arrest,  Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents  arrested T.I. when he took delivery of  the weapons from the bodyguard.  The arrest took  place just hours before,  and blocks away from where  Harris was to receive two awards at the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.

As part of his plea deal, Harris agreed to spend 1,500 hours talking to at-risk children and teens; including 1,000 due before prison. After he is released, Harris has a year on house arrest and two more on probation. The government fined him $100,000.