Rick Springfield Strikes Deal in DUI Case -- Won't Be Jessie's Prison Bitch

Rick Springfield just got off EASY in his DUI case ... the one in which he allegedly threatened to kill a deputy sheriff ... TMZ has learned the singer cut a deal and won't have to spend a single minute behind bars.

TMZ broke the story ... Springfield was arrested in May 2011 after cops in Malibu pulled over his 1963 Corvette Stingray ... and smelled booze. Sources tell TMZ Rick threatened to kill the deputy and his family if he had the car towed.

Springfield was charged with DUI ... but today, we've learned he cut a plea deal with prosecutors ... in which they agreed to drop the DUI charges in exchange for a no contest plea to reckless driving.

As party of the deal, Rick was put on 3 years probation ... and ordered to attend a 2 month traffic program.