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This project sought to understand how women transitioning from incarceration, a time of extreme vulnerability to health problems and mortality, find health information online and which sources they trust and use. We conducted semi-structured interviews by telephone or in person with 74 previously incarcerated women from September 2019 to May 2020. We performed qualitative, thematic analysis of the interviews. Most of our participants used the internet to search for health information and were enthusiastic about the speed and ease of online health information. Perceptions of reliability of the information and whether they would recommend it to friends and family varied. Many participants wanted additional reliable sources of health information and ways to verify the online health information. Findings may be used to develop digital health literacy interventions that this vulnerable group of women need for transitioning back into communities and everyday life. 

Based on interviews with 75 women transitioning from incarceration, our research identifies technology access and skills barriers facing this population and their underlying concerns and motivations in navigating privacy online. Our results suggest precarious housing and financial situations, concerns about ex-partners, mental health issues, and lack of self-efficacy pose challenges for their access to and use of digital technologies and influence their online privacy perspectives. Many participants reported relying primarily on cellphones for various tasks including job applications. Closing public places including libraries amid the COVID-19 pandemic put them at an even greater disadvantage, as many of them depend on computers or Wi-Fi available in those places. Nothing-to-lose attitudes were salient among this group resulting in many not taking precautionary measures online or choosing to go offline. Our research highlights the importance of building academic-community partnerships to provide technology and privacy education tailored for this population’s particular needs and desires.