Defendants may elect to see a social worker prior to entering the hearing, a speedy trial procedure for offenders caught in the act of committing a crime. The interview format taps information on the defendants' personal circumstances -- family, social, and health status. In some cases, the interviewer may obtain corroborating statements from physicians, family members, or others familiar with the defendant's lifestyle. For the defendants, caught in the insensitive throes of criminal justice processing, the interview is an expression of interest in their persons, to which they respond positively. Furthermore, judges may use the information in considering lighter sentences or possible alternatives to institutionalization. The pretrial interview is likely to be expanded to jurisdictions other than Paris and implemented in other types of criminal courts. Footnotes and the interview instrument are provided.