In Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, under the auspices of the Global Campaign for Pretrial Justice, the Open Society Foundations' Justice Initiative has supported evidence gathering and research to assess the operational practices of security and justice actors and their effect on individuals and communities.

This initiative sought to gather evidence on the potential secondary effects of pretrial justice on the broader criminal justice system. In collaboration with CSOs, it was operationalized through three workstreams: the design and implementation of field research on actual pretrial justice practices in several countries, the design of pilot projects to test alternative operational solutions, and the development of advocacy narratives and activities.