Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	$ 142,157	$ 202,541	$ 192,189
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture	0	0	(996)
Acquisition of LCS, net of cash acquired	(307,404)	0	0
Acquisition of Protocol, cash consideration, net of cash acquired	0	(13,025)	0
Acquisition of SoberLink, cash consideration	(24,402)	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	42	699	205
Insurance proceeds - damaged property	1,270	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale	0	0	1,969
Change in restricted cash and investments	(4,805)	5,380	17,412
Capital expenditures	(117,581)	(114,224)	(117,566)
Net cash used in investing activities	(452,880)	(121,170)	(98,976)
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Payments on long-term debt	(311,985)	(678,099)	(1,134,544)
Proceeds from long term debt	724,798	654,000	1,238,000
Payments on non-recourse debt	(11,908)	(18,627)	0
Proceeds from non-recourse debt	123,560	87,896	0
Taxes paid related to net share settlements of equity awards	(2,786)	(1,844)	0
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	1,409	2,035	2,197
Payments for purchase of treasury shares		(1,844)
Debt issuance fees	0	0	(13,421)
Debt issuance costs - deferred	(7,069)	(26,420)	(23,834)
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	2,774	7,281	5,425
Cash dividends paid	(186,984)	(170,234)	(147,156)
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	441	387	319
Termination of interest rate swap agreements	0	0	3,974
Issuance of common stock under prospectus supplement	0	54,725	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	332,250	(88,900)	(69,040)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(3,226)	(3,259)	(3,803)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	18,301	(10,788)	20,370
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	41,337	52,125	31,755
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	59,638	41,337	52,125
The GEO Group Inc.
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	153,861	185,721	142,923
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture			(996)
Acquisition of LCS, net of cash acquired	(307,404)
Acquisition of Protocol, cash consideration, net of cash acquired		0
Acquisition of SoberLink, cash consideration	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Insurance proceeds - damaged property	0
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale			0
Change in restricted cash and investments	90	61	(167)
Capital expenditures	(55,629)	(58,188)	(79,150)
Net cash used in investing activities	(362,943)	(58,127)	(80,313)
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Payments on long-term debt	(311,985)	(677,000)	(1,098,174)
Proceeds from long term debt	724,798	654,000	1,238,000
Payments on non-recourse debt	0	0
Proceeds from non-recourse debt	0	0
Taxes paid related to net share settlements of equity awards	(2,786)
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	1,409	2,035	2,197
Payments for purchase of treasury shares		(1,844)
Debt issuance fees			(13,421)
Debt issuance costs - deferred	0	(9,182)	(23,834)
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	2,774	7,281	5,425
Cash dividends paid	(186,984)	(170,234)	(147,156)
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	441	387	319
Termination of interest rate swap agreements			0
Issuance of common stock under prospectus supplement		54,725
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	227,667	(139,832)	(36,644)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	18,585	(12,238)	25,966
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	18,492	30,730	4,764
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	37,077	18,492	30,730
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	84,795	63,154	34,067
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture			0
Acquisition of LCS, net of cash acquired	0
Acquisition of Protocol, cash consideration, net of cash acquired		(13,025)
Acquisition of SoberLink, cash consideration	(24,402)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	42	746	205
Insurance proceeds - damaged property	1,270
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale			1,969
Change in restricted cash and investments	(2,658)	2,571	(3,205)
Capital expenditures	(59,829)	(52,550)	(36,815)
Net cash used in investing activities	(85,577)	(62,258)	(37,846)
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Payments on long-term debt	0	(1,099)	(1,127)
Proceeds from long term debt	0	0	0
Payments on non-recourse debt	0	0
Proceeds from non-recourse debt	0	0
Taxes paid related to net share settlements of equity awards	0
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	0	0	0
Payments for purchase of treasury shares		0
Debt issuance fees			0
Debt issuance costs - deferred	0	0	0
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0	0
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	0	0	0
Termination of interest rate swap agreements			3,974
Issuance of common stock under prospectus supplement		0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	(1,099)	2,847
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(782)	(203)	(932)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	782	985	1,917
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	0	782	985
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	(96,499)	(46,334)	15,199
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture			0
Acquisition of LCS, net of cash acquired	0
Acquisition of Protocol, cash consideration, net of cash acquired		0
Acquisition of SoberLink, cash consideration	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	(47)	0
Insurance proceeds - damaged property	0
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale			0
Change in restricted cash and investments	(2,237)	2,748	20,784
Capital expenditures	(2,123)	(3,486)	(1,601)
Net cash used in investing activities	(4,360)	(785)	19,183
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	(35,243)
Proceeds from long term debt	0	0	0
Payments on non-recourse debt	(11,908)	(18,627)
Proceeds from non-recourse debt	123,560	87,896
Taxes paid related to net share settlements of equity awards	0
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	0	0	0
Payments for purchase of treasury shares		0
Debt issuance fees			0
Debt issuance costs - deferred	(7,069)	(17,238)	0
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0	0
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	0	0	0
Termination of interest rate swap agreements			0
Issuance of common stock under prospectus supplement		0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	104,583	52,031	(35,243)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(3,226)	(3,259)	(3,803)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	498	1,653	(4,664)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	22,063	20,410	25,074
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	$ 22,561	$ 22,063	$ 20,410