COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Legal Proceedings

The nature of CoreCivic's business results in claims and litigation alleging that it is liable for damages arising from the conduct of its employees, offenders or others.  The nature of such claims includes, but is not limited to, claims arising from employee or offender misconduct, medical malpractice, employment matters, property loss, contractual claims, including claims regarding compliance with contract performance requirements, and personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with CoreCivic's facilities, personnel or offenders, including damages arising from an offender's escape or from a disturbance at a facility.  CoreCivic maintains insurance to cover many of these claims, which may mitigate the risk that any single claim would have a material effect on CoreCivic's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows, provided the claim is one for which coverage is available.  The combination of self-insured retentions and deductible amounts means that, in the aggregate, CoreCivic is subject to substantial self-insurance risk.  

CoreCivic records litigation reserves related to certain matters for which it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the range of such loss can be estimated.  CoreCivic does not accrue for anticipated legal fees and costs but expenses those items as incurred.  

ICE Detainee Labor and Related Matters.

On May 31, 2017, two former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") detainees, who were detained at the Company's Otay Mesa Detention Center (“OMDC”) in San Diego, California, filed a class action against the Company in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. The complaint alleged that the Company forces detainees to perform labor under threat of punishment in violation of state and federal anti-trafficking laws and that OMDC’s Voluntary Work Program (“VWP”) violates state labor laws including state minimum wage law. ICE requires that CoreCivic offer and operate the VWP in conformance with ICE standards and ICE prescribes the minimum rate of pay for VWP participants. The Plaintiffs seek compensatory damages, exemplary damages, restitution, penalties, and interest as well as declaratory and injunctive relief on behalf of former and current detainees. On April 1, 2020, the district court certified a nationwide anti-trafficking claims class of former and current detainees at all CoreCivic ICE detention facilities. It also certified a state law class of former and current detainees at the Company’s ICE detention facilities in California. The court did not certify any claims for injunctive or declaratory relief. Since this case was initially filed, three similar lawsuits have been filed in other courts in California, Texas and Georgia. The Company disputes these allegations and intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself against all claims. The Company has not recorded an accrual relating to these matters at this time, as losses are not considered probable or reasonably estimable at this stage of these lawsuits. However, the results of these claims or proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these claims or proceedings could have a material adverse effect on CoreCivic's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Shareholder Litigation.

In a memorandum to the Federal Bureau of Prisons ("BOP") dated August 18, 2016, the Department of Justice ("DOJ") directed that, as each contract with privately operated prisons reaches the end of its term, the BOP should either decline to renew that contract or substantially reduce its scope in a manner consistent with law and the overall decline of the BOP's inmate population.  In addition to the decline in the BOP's inmate population, the DOJ memorandum cites purported operational, programming, and cost efficiency factors as reasons for the DOJ directive.  On February 21, 2017, the newly appointed U.S. Attorney General issued a memorandum rescinding the DOJ's prior directive stating the memorandum changed long-standing policy and practice and impaired the BOP's ability to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system.

Following the release of the August 18, 2016 DOJ memorandum, a purported securities class action lawsuit was filed against the Company and certain of its current and former officers in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, or the District Court, captioned Grae v. Corrections Corporation of America et al., Case No. 3:16-cv-02267.  The lawsuit is brought on behalf of a putative class of shareholders who purchased or acquired the Company's securities between February 27, 2012 and August 17, 2016.  In general, the lawsuit alleges that, during this timeframe, the Company's public statements were false and/or misleading regarding the purported operational, programming, and cost efficiency factors cited in the DOJ memorandum and, as a result, the Company's stock price was artificially inflated.  The lawsuit alleges that the publication of the DOJ memorandum on August 18, 2016 revealed the alleged fraud, causing the per share price of the Company's stock to decline, thereby causing harm to the putative class of shareholders.  

On December 18, 2017, the District Court denied the Company's motion to dismiss.  On March 26, 2019, the District Court certified the class proposed by the plaintiff.  The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denied the Company's appeal of the class certification order on August 23, 2019.  The case is currently in the fact discovery phase of litigation.

CoreCivic believes the lawsuit is entirely without merit and intends to vigorously defend against it. In addition, CoreCivic maintains insurance, with certain self-insured retention amounts, to cover the alleged claims which may mitigate the risk that such litigation would have a material adverse effect on CoreCivic's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.  CoreCivic has established a reserve based on its estimate of a potential settlement based on the facts and circumstances known at this stage in the discovery of the litigation and the advice of outside counsel in connection with this matter.  

Based upon management's review of the potential claims and outstanding litigation, and based upon management's experience and history of estimating losses, and taking into consideration CoreCivic's self-insured retention amounts, management believes a loss in excess of amounts already recognized would not be material to CoreCivic's financial statements.  Any receivable for insurance recoveries is recorded separately from the corresponding litigation reserve, and only if recovery is determined to be probable.  Adversarial proceedings and litigation are, however, subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable decisions and rulings resulting from legal proceedings could occur which could have a material adverse impact on CoreCivic's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows for the period in which such decisions or rulings occur, or future periods.  Expenses associated with legal proceedings may also fluctuate from quarter to quarter based on changes in CoreCivic's assumptions, new developments, or by the effectiveness of CoreCivic's litigation and settlement strategies.