<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2004-06-16</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2004-06-17</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000877476</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AMERICA SERVICE GROUP INC /DE</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ASGR</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001208158</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GOLDBERG CAROL R</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 WEST PARK DRIVE, STE 200</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BRENTWOOD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TN</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>37027</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2004-06-16</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1500</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>5447</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">These shares were reported in Table II of the reporting person's original Form 4.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">These shares were originally reported as an acquisition of 1,000 shares, but were adjusted to reflect the stock split effected on October 29, 2004.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Shares have been adjusted to reflect the 3-for-2 stock split effected on October 29, 2004 that resulted in the reporting person's acquisition of 1,316 additional shares of common stock.  These additional shares exclude the 500 additional shares of common stock acquired in Table I of this Form 4.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Carol R. Goldberg</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-04-22</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
