Facility Activation, Developments, And Closures (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended								1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	May 31, 2011	Nov. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 07, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2009 Prairie Correctional Facility [Member]	Jan. 31, 2010 Huerfano County Correctional Center Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2010 Diamondback Correctional Facility [Member]	Nov. 30, 2010 Crowley County Correctional Facility And Prairie Correctional Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Jenkins Correctional Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Jenkins Correctional Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Lake Erie Correctional Institution [Member]	May 31, 2011 State Of California Facilities [Member]	Jun. 07, 2011 State Of California Facilities [Member]
Facility Activation Development And Closures [Line Items]
Construction cost of facility, capitalized amount								$ 27,800,000
Number of beds at the facility									1,600	752	2,160				1,798
Expected additional number of offenders to be managed by the company												3,256	1,150
Number of idle facilities				5
Carrying value of five idle facilities			104,700,000	104,700,000			107,500,000
Expected construction cost													53,000,000
Existing number of facilities managed by company for CDCR to house up to specified number of inmates		4
Existing number of facilities managed by company for CDCR		5
Existing number of inmates managed by company for CDCR		9,588
Federal three-judge court ruling	In May 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling requiring California to reduce its inmate population to 137.5% of its current capacity, or to 110,000 inmates, by May 24, 2013.
Percentage capacity of inmate population																137.50%
Percentage of management revenue generated from CDCR			13.00%	13.00%
Number of inmates in the state of California						143,500
Court-ordered capacity of inmate population																110,000
Number of facilities targeted for reduction																	33
Ramp-up period (in days)														120
Terms of contract awarded by the Georgia Department of Corrections														The contract has an initial one-year base term with 24 one-year renewal options. Additionally, the contract provides for a population guarantee of 90% following a 120-day ramp-up period.
Management contract period of initial base term														one
Number of one-year renewal options														24
Percentage of population guarantee														90.00%	90.00%
Purchase price of facility															73,000,000
Investment in capital improvements				$ 30,331,000	$ 24,960,000										$ 3,100,000
Initial term for management contracts															twenty years