What are some guidelines for low income tenants with less that desirable work or incarceration history?

My guess is if the penalty were far worse: say, a minimum of 3 years incarceration for the first offense, there would be fewer wholesalers willing to risk taking this route.  

Tenant in one of the 2 units was incarcerated for a time, and failed to pay water bill.

Learn how to chain or abstract title at the county recorder's office.Upon suspecting or anecdotal info about institutionalized, incarcerated or deceased owner, use your investigative skills.If deceased, look at death certificate for next of kin.

There are online sources for locating incarcerated persons, too. 

Drugs and alcohol, skip on bills and family, incarceration, severe mental and emotional issues, senility and death.

But the incarceration of employment never appealed to me!

As a result he has bad credit from those mistakes and was incarcerated.

The key seems to be what led to the felony, the type of felony, their age at the time, their incarceration history, when they got out, what they've done since, and the likelihood of recidivism.

I don’t have a lot of resources or help it’s just me I am a single mom with two children I have a significant other but he’s incarcerated at this time.