Nah, we had the "Have you been convicted of a felony in the past 7 years" job application question in the 80's. And background checks were accessible.

Not at all the same. You didn’t have central databases for HR or apartment property management, background checks for cellphones, lots of interstate data connected with your PII.

I’m not sure if you’re kidding.

A year in jail doesn’t necessarily mean a felony conviction.

https://lawful.com/articles/misdemeanors