I'd say they're exactly the same, in that they all have codes of conduct and standards they have to live up to in order to fulfill their contracts and maintain their employment. If they can't live up to those codes of conduct, they're welcome to still make a living once they get out of prison... they just aren't allowed to make one doing the same things as before they went in.

The NFL has every right to reinstate whoever they want. But, if they're serious about changing the league for the better, and changing the public's increasingly poor opinion of it, they'll start taking a harder stance on felons... few people ever change their behavior if they never suffer consequences, feel the repercussions of their actions, or have to "face the music". Pacman is a prime example... played footsie with that guy for years, and he never changed. He always thought the rules didn't apply to him; and he always thought he had a safety net (talent). Most folks need to land on their back, and not their feet, before they see the error of their ways.