Note 23 - Quarterly Results (Unaudited) (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Oct. 19, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016		Sep. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2016		Mar. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Interest Expense, Net				$ 229		$ 236		$ 221				$ 252		$ 246		$ 251
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments																		$ (10,287)	$ (10,970)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		$ 108,428	[1],[2],[3],[4]	(2,791)	[1],[5],[6]	2,370	[1],[5]	753	[1],[5]	$ 104,362	[7],[8],[9],[10]	(1,505)	[5],[8]	3,125	[5],[8]	1,889	[5],[8]	108,760	107,871	(4,236)
Revenues		385,960	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]	412,512	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]	398,359	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]	382,058	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]	373,210	[7],[8],[9],[10]	379,568	[5],[8]	362,834	[5],[8]	362,398	[5],[8]	1,578,889	1,478,010	1,092,880
Asset Impairment Charges																		21,003	1,593	6,915
Goodwill, Impairment Loss																		5,224
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense																		5,136	26,622	7,562
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business																		167,895	123,129
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability																			2,469	$ 16,314
Ingeus Acquisition [Member]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability																			$ 2,469
Two Executives of Ingeus [Member]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense										20,944
Matrix [Member]
Net Gain, Matrix Transaction	$ 109,403
WD Services [Member]
Goodwill, Impairment Loss																		5,224
WD Services [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges		4,381																4,381
WD Services [Member] | Property and Equipment [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges																		9,983
Human Services [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business										100,332
TR Contract Restructuring [Member]
Revenues				5,367
Human Services [Member]
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest				5,035
Holding Company Office Space in Arizona [Member]
Asset Impairment Charges																		1,415
Mission Providence [Member]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments		(2,801)		$ (1,544)		$ (1,459)		$ (2,717)		$ 2,962		$ 4,465		$ 1,059		$ 2,483
Matrix [Member]
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments		$ (1,789)																$ (1,789)

[1] Includes equity in net loss of investee of $2,717, $1,459, $1,544 and $2,801, for the quarters ending March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016, September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2016, respectively, related to the Company's investment in Mission Providence. Includes equity in net loss of investee of $1,789, for the quarter ending December 31, 2016, related to the Company’s investment in Matrix.

[2] Includes gain on loss of controlling interest in Matrix, net of tax, of $109,403.

[3] Service revenue, net for the quarter ending December 31, 2016 decreased from the quarter ended September 30, 2016 primarily due to decreased revenue associated with the WD Services' National Citizen Service summer youth programs, which are seasonal in nature. Additionally, the quarter ended September 30, 2016 included revenue of $5,367 under the WD Services' offender rehabilitation program related to the finalization of a contractual adjustment for the contract years ending March 31, 2015 and 2016.

[4] The Company recorded an asset impairment charge of $1,415 related to the building and land utilized by the holding company, which was sold effective December 30, 2016. Also, the Company recorded asset impairment charges in its WD Services segment of $9,983, $4,381 and $5,224 to its property and equipment, intangible assets and goodwill, respectively.

[5] The Company classified interest expense, net of tax, of $221, $236 and $229 for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively, and $251, $246 and $252 for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2015, June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2015, respectively, to Discontinued Operations. Such amounts were previously classified as continuing operations in the Company's Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2016. These amounts relate to the finalization of interest expense allocated to discontinued operations associated with the debt that was required to be repaid upon the completion of the Matrix stock subscription transaction.

[6] The Company recorded expenses, net of tax, of $5,035 in Discontinued operations, net of tax, in the quarter ending September 30, 2016 related to the Company’s former Human Services segment, which are principally related to an ongoing legal matter.

[7] Includes a gain due to a reduction in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration of $2,469 in 2015 related to the Ingeus acquisition.

[8] Includes equity in net loss of investee of $2,483, $1,059, $4,465 and $2,962, for the quarters ending March 31, 2015, June 30, 2015, September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2015, respectively, related to the Company's investment in Mission Providence which incurred significant start-up costs during 2015.

[9] Includes gain on disposition, net of tax, of $100,332, in relation to the sale of the Company's Human Services segment.

[10] The Company incurred $20,944 of expense related to restricted shares and cash placed into escrow at the time of the Ingeus acquisition. The shares and cash were placed into escrow concurrent with the payment of the acquisition consideration paid for Ingeus; however, because two sellers of Ingeus remained employees post acquisition, the value of the shares and cash was recognized as compensation expense over the escrow term. Acceleration of this expense was triggered when the two sellers separated from the Company.