Inmate Alerts

A modern web application that provides real-time notifications about inmate bookings, releases, and status changes in Scott County, Iowa.

Overview

Inmate Alerts helps users stay informed about changes to inmate status in Scott County, Iowa. The application allows users to set up alerts for specific inmates and receive notifications via email or SMS when there are updates.

Key Features

• Real-time Notifications: Get instant alerts about bookings, releases, and status changes
• Customizable Alerts: Track specific inmates by name
• Multiple Notification Methods: Choose between email, SMS, or both
• User-friendly Dashboard: Easily manage your alert preferences
• Secure Authentication: Powered by Amazon Cognito
• Subscription Plans: Free and paid tiers with different feature sets

Technology Stack

• Frontend: Next.js, React, TailwindCSS
• Backend: AWS Amplify, AWS Lambda, DynamoDB
• Authentication: Amazon Cognito
• Notifications: Twilio (SMS), Resend (Email)
• Payment Processing: Stripe
• Infrastructure: AWS (DynamoDB, Lambda, SQS, EventBridge)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or later)
• npm or yarn
• AWS account
• Stripe account
• Twilio account
• Resend account

Environment Variables

Create a .env.local file in the root directory with the following variables:

# AWS Configuration
AWS_REGION=us-east-1
AWS_BRANCH=main

# Stripe Configuration
STRIPE_EVENTBUS_ID=your-stripe-eventbus-id
NEXT_PUBLIC_WATCHFUL_CITIZEN_MONTHLY_STRIPE_PRICE_ID=your-stripe-price-id

# Twilio Configuration
TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=your-twilio-account-sid
TWILIO_API_KEY=your-twilio-api-key
TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER=your-twilio-phone-number

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/inmate-tracker.git
   cd inmate-tracker

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install

3. Initialize Amplify:

   amplify init

4. Push Amplify resources:

   amplify push

5. Start the development server:

   npm run dev
   # or
   yarn dev

6. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Project Structure

inmate-tracker/
├── amplify/               # AWS Amplify configuration and resources
│   ├── auth/              # Authentication configuration
│   ├── data/              # Data models and schema
│   ├── functions/         # Lambda functions
│   │   ├── inmateCron/    # Scheduled job to fetch inmate data
│   │   ├── inmateDDBStream/ # Process DynamoDB stream events
│   │   ├── sendEmail/     # Email notification service
│   │   ├── sendMMS/       # SMS notification service
│   │   └── ...
├── app/                   # Next.js app directory
│   ├── my-account/        # User account management
│   ├── privacy/           # Privacy policy page
│   ├── terms/             # Terms of service page
│   └── ...
├── components/            # React components
│   ├── blocks/            # Larger component blocks
│   └── ui/                # UI components
├── public/                # Static assets
└── ...

Architecture

The application uses a serverless architecture with AWS services:

1. Data Collection: A scheduled Lambda function (inmateCron) fetches inmate data from Scott County's public records.
2. Data Storage: Inmate information is stored in DynamoDB.
3. Event Processing: DynamoDB streams trigger the inmateDDBStream Lambda function when new inmates are added.
4. Notification System:
   • Email notifications are queued in SQS and processed by the inmateQueuePoller Lambda.
   • SMS notifications are sent directly via Twilio.
5. Payment Processing: Stripe integration for subscription management with EventBridge for event handling.

AWS Services Used

• DynamoDB: Primary database for storing inmate and user data
• Lambda: Serverless functions for business logic
• Cognito: User authentication and management
• SQS: Message queuing for email notifications
• EventBridge: Event handling for Stripe events
• CloudWatch: Monitoring and logging

Deployment

The application is deployed using AWS Amplify:

amplify publish

Subscription Plans

The application offers different subscription tiers:

• Free Tier: Basic features with limited alerts
• Paid Tier: Advanced features with more alerts and notification options

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

For support or inquiries, please contact support@focusotter.com.

Acknowledgements

• Scott County Sheriff's Office for providing public inmate data
• AWS for cloud infrastructure
• Stripe for payment processing
• Twilio for SMS capabilities
• Resend for email delivery