By Nedra Rhone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta rapper Clifford “T.I.” Harris Jr., was released from prison Tuesday morning after serving about 7 months at a low-security penitentiary in Forrest City, Ark. He is expected to serve the remainder of a reduced sentence in a correctional center near Fulton County Airport.

Harris' attorney Steve Sadow, who confirmed Harris' release, said it is "not out of the ordinary."

Harris was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for weapons charges resulting from an October 2007 incident when he was arrested for sending a bodyguard to purchase machine guns and silencers. Sadow said prisoners sentenced to 366 days are eligible for a 54-day sentence reduction for good behavior. The Bureau of Prisons will consider a prisoner with six months or less remaining on his or her sentence for a halfway house. Harris was expected to report to Dismas Charities Atlanta West on Tuesday evening, Sadow said. He will remain there for about three months and will have to abide by the rules of that particular house. Typically, halfway house residents are allowed to leave the house during regular work hours and are allowed more contact with their families and communities.

Once Harris completes his time in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons in late March, he will still have to finish serving just under 500 hours of community service and about 23 days of home incarceration, Sadow said.

Still, it all seems to have worked out quite well for the platinum-selling recording artist who has had some 32 past arrests for weapons violations and a conviction for dealing crack cocaine. What could have been a 10-year prison sentence was dramatically reduced by a plea agreement, in which Harris was asked to publicly speak out about the error of his ways. That included talking to youth groups about avoiding the kind of life he has led, and a bonus MTV series (which did not count toward his community service credits) called "T.I.'s Road to Redemption."