EXCLUSIVE

Chris Brown went into a VIOLENT RAGE while in rehab earlier this month for his anger issues ... TMZ has learned ... throwing objects and breaking them ... and we've learned the D.A. will use this and other incidents later today in court to make the case that he belongs in jail ... NOW.

We're told the rehab facility wanted him OUT after the incident ... and that's why he bailed after only 2 weeks.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the L.A. County Probation Dept. is submitting information to the judge today about the incident, along with the criminal assault charge in Washington, D.C. We're told the Probation Dept will ask the judge to order Chris into a live-in anger management program for a period of months.

Our sources say the D.A. isn't as forgiving and will ask the judge during today's progress hearing in the Rihanna beating case to revoke his probation and send him to jail -- as early as today.