Inspiration -- The inspiration for SecondStep was to help provide ex-offenders with the resources they need to build a better life for themselves and avoid reoffending. Ex-offenders face many barriers when attempting to reintegrate into society, such as unemployment, difficulty finding housing, and a lack of social skills. Our goal is to help reduce these barriers to reduce recidivism rates and promote safer communities and improved public well-being.
What it does
SecondStep provides ex-offenders with a web app for them to find the support they need to take the next step towards improving their lives. We provide information for the following resources: food pantries, affordable healthcare, career opportunities and training, along with further education. Our web app would also inform the user about any requirements certain places may have for people who attend. This is crucial to ensure our users are going to places that will accept them.
How we built it
The web app was built with CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.
The Gemini API was employed along with meaningful prompts to make users feel heard and give them the resources they need.
Challenges we ran into
A big hurdle we faced was getting the Gemini API to connect properly with our app. The online documentation implementation method did not work as smoothly as expected. Lots of searching on the internet and consulting later, we got our first answer from the chatbot.
A second challenge was getting the AI output to be properly formatted. The solution involved both pre- and post-processing. Pre-processing to control what the AI says, and post-processing to control how it looks.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We're proud that we were able to build a web app that compiles public resources available to all in a format that is intuitive and easy to use for anybody.
What we learned
We learned that in the United States, around 66% of released inmates reoffend within the next 3 years. With that in mind, we focused on the city we have come to love, Arlington, TX. We found that there are many programs and resources for people to take advantage of and take their future into their own hands.
What's next for SecondStep
The next step is to ensure compatibility with mobile devices and introduce non-intrusive ads to fund the project. We'd also like to expand our web app to direct individuals to resources outside of Arlington so that they are accessible to people from all over.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.