Returning Citizens' Job Search and Technology Use

Abstract

In this work, we seek to understand how returning citizens (formerly incarcerated individuals) interact with digital technologies, both in general and for job search. Using semi-structured interviews we interviewed fifteen returning citizens who were released within the past year. We find that returning citizens depend heavily on family and close friends for purchasing, using, and learning about digital technology, but that this help rarely extends to support job-search tasks. We also find that many recent re-entrants do not use social media.