Tangentially, I'm just curious, is it something that appears in your criminal background check that causes you to not receive offers? Or is it a lack of interviews due to gaps on a resume?

I am a firm believer that if someone demonstrates they have motivation and skill in a writing sample, they deserve an interview. If that person then passes a technical interview, they deserve a job. And if that person is friendly and does not commit any crimes while working, they deserve to keep that job.