T.I.’s gotta to go the pokey. Thankfully for the rapper, it’s a relatively short ride—just a year and a day, starting May 19, for a 2007 felony weapons charge. He’s made the most of his situation—his plea deal included a completion of 1,500 hours of community service, a $100,00 fine— and has taken his community service public with the MTV “Road to Redemption.” He also made 262 public appearances, helping to whittle a possible 10-year sentence to a mere single year sentence.

The judge, Charles Pannell Jr. of Northern Georgia District Court, praised T.I. Writes Eonline,

“I think this has been a great experiment. I hope this experience can lead to other experiments so others won’t make the same mistake at all. I congratulate you.”