I've had people come into my office as well. I've been sympathetic to this issue before—don't get me wrong from my questions—but you were trying to figure out where that sweet spot is.
I had a father come in who had a son in his early twenties and according to him had made a mistake and now can't get his life back on track because the number of years you have to wait is a lot longer. I could see the pain in the father's eyes and his wanting to give his son a second chance. We have to figure out how to get it right.
Then I can also see the arguments on the flip side, of people having a record for a reason. Maybe it's even a deterrent for some.