Note 15 — Share-Based Payments

The Company’s 2002 Stock Award and Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), as amended, provides for the awarding of stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units to certain key employees, executive officers and non-employee directors. Current awards under the Plan include grants to directors, executive officers and certain key employees of restricted stock awards and units, with vesting contingent upon (a) the completion of specified service periods ranging from one to five years and/or (b) meeting certain financial performance and/or market-based metrics. Unlike the restricted stock awards, the shares for the restricted stock units are not issued until they vest. The Plan is more fully described in Notes 15 and 17 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following table summarizes the total share-based compensation expense and the related tax benefits recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2018		2017
Restricted stock compensation expense	$	676	$	748
Tax benefit related to restricted stock compensation		—		—

Restricted Stock Awards

Restricted stock award activity (including those with performance-based vesting criteria) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 is summarized as follows:

	Restricted Stock Awards
	Number of Shares			Weighted Average Grant Fair Value
Outstanding, December 31, 2017		981,208		$	5.15
Awarded		2,164,374			2.35
Released		(194,800	)		5.14
Forfeited		—			—
Outstanding, March 31, 2018		2,950,782			3.10

As of March 31, 2018, there was $4.4 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested restricted stock awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.73 years.

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock unit activity (including those with performance-based vesting criteria) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 is summarized as follows:

	Restricted Stock Units
	Number of Shares			Weighted Average Grant Fair Value
Outstanding, December 31, 2017		959,192		$	5.15
Awarded		—			—
Released		(125,290	)		5.15
Forfeited		(79,831	)		5.15
Outstanding, March 31, 2018		754,071			5.15

As of March 31, 2018, there was $1.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested restricted stock units, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.3 years.

Stock Options

There has been no stock option activity pursuant to the Plan since December 31, 2015.