If I were in a position to hire, I do believe I would give one of these ex-convicts a chance.
I found out recently that there is a program in my community that helps former prisoners find work. It is known up front, to the employer, and employees, that the person is a former convict. I don’t know how well that is working out, but will try to learn all I can on it. (a friend of a friend of a friend is how I learned of this program). And post what I learn.
Does your community not offer a program like this?
I am not talking about just counseling, reform programs, etc,… I am talking about actually helping the person become gainfully employeed. The people running the program are actually in collaboration with different employers to do this.
In some small way, I know how these prisoners feel. Though I am not a criminal in the legal sense, I certainly have been in the moral sense, and I allowed people’s attitudes about my past drive me out of Church. And whereas I don’t expect to be ‘embraced’ and lovingly welcomed, I didn’t expect to actually be lunged at physically either.

Please note that I said I allowed their attitude to have that effect on me, thus I don’t blame them really, but my response to them.
Please update if you have found a reasonable solution to this problem.
It is sad that we preach reform, but we don’t actually carry through in action.
Our prison system is based more on punishment than reform and rehabilitation.
littlechicken