Do you employ them? Would you employ them?
Certainly depending on the job and/or the record of the potential employee. Just because a person has a record does not mean he is not a good potential employee. That record could be many years in the past and people do change, I can absolutely guarantee that. They have to re-establish their credibility of course before they can be hired for some work. There are also some jobs that mostly require a strong back and a willingness to work or sometimes just a willingness to work.
Start felon factory
I'm not an employer, but the answer is, it depends.
If I ran a mortgage company, I'd probably hire a guy with an assault conviction 12 years ago who has since earned a degree and has no other issues. I'd stay away from someone who had been convicted of embezzlement.