Income received while in a halfway house, while incarcerated or in a work-release program doesn't qualify as earned income for the Earned Income Tax Credit. So TurboTax needs to know if you had any income from any of those sources before it can calculate your credit.
An amount received for work performed while an inmate in a penal institution isn't earned income when figuring the earned income credit. This includes amounts for work performed while in a work-release program or while in a halfway house.