As state budgets tighten all across the country, more and more people are arguing for the early release of the "non-violent" offender. That begs the question just how non-violent are these folks? The answer won't shock police officers. The answer is that most "non-violent" offenders are actually quite violent. They may even have committed violent crimes and plea bargained down to non-violent charges. And even if they are truly non-violent, that doesn't mean they haven't committed serious crimes.