Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jul. 03, 2011

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Litigation, Claims and Assessments

On June 22, 2011, a verdict for $6.5 million was entered against the Company in a wrongful death action brought by the Personal Representative of the Estate of Ronald Sites, a former inmate at the Company’s Lawton Oklahoma Correctional Facility. The lawsuit, Ronald L. Sites, as the administrator of the Estate of Ronald S. Sites, deceased v. The GEO Group, Inc. was filed on January 28, 2007 in the District Court of Comanche County, State of Oklahoma, Case No. CJ-2007-84. On January 29, 2005, it was alleged that Mr. Sites was harmed by his cellmate as a result of the Company’s negligence. The Company disagrees with the verdict and intends to pursue an appeal. The Company intends to vigorously defend its rights with respect to this judgment and believes its accrual relative to this verdict is adequate. Under its insurance plan, the Company is responsible for the first $3.0 million of liability. Aside from this amount, which the Company would pay directly from general corporate funds, the Company believes it has insurance coverage for this matter.

In June 2004, the Company received notice of a third-party claim for property damage incurred during 2001 and 2002 at several detention facilities formerly operated by its Australian subsidiary. The claim relates to property damage caused by detainees at the detention facilities. The notice was given by the Australian government’s insurance provider and did not specify the amount of damages being sought. In August 2007, a lawsuit (Commonwealth of Australia v. Australasian Correctional Services PTY, Limited No. SC 656) was filed against the Company in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory seeking damages of up to approximately AUD 18 million, as of July 3, 2011, or $19.4 million, plus interest. The Company believes that it has several defenses to the allegations underlying the litigation and the amounts sought and intends to vigorously defend its rights with respect to this matter. The Company has established a reserve based on its estimate of the most probable loss based on the facts and circumstances known to date and the advice of legal counsel in connection with this matter. Although the outcome of this matter cannot be predicted with certainty, based on information known to date and the Company’s preliminary review of the claim and related reserve for loss, the Company believes that, if settled unfavorably, this matter could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company is uninsured for any damages or costs that it may incur as a result of this claim, including the expenses of defending the claim.

During the fourth fiscal quarter of 2009, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) completed its examination of the Company’s U.S. federal income tax returns for the years 2002 through 2005. Following the examination, the IRS notified the Company’s management that it proposed to disallow a deduction that the Company realized during the 2005 tax year. In December of 2010, the Company reached an agreement with the office of the IRS Appeals on the amount of the deduction. The agreement was subject to the review by the Joint Committee on Taxation and was completed without change on April 18, 2011. As a result of the review, there was no change to our tax accrual related to this matter.

The Company’s South Africa joint venture had been in discussions with the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) with respect to the deductibility of certain expenses for the tax periods 2002 through 2004. The joint venture operates the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre and accepted inmates from the South African Department of Correctional Services in 2002. During 2009, SARS notified the Company that it proposed to disallow these deductions. The Company appealed these proposed disallowed deductions with SARS and in October 2010 received a favorable Tax Court ruling relative to these deductions. On March 9, 2011, SARS filed a notice that it would appeal the lower court’s ruling. The Company continues to believe in the merits of its position and will defend its rights vigorously as the case proceeds to the Court of Appeals. If resolved unfavorably, the Company’s maximum exposure would be $2.6 million.

The Company is a participant in the IRS Compliance Assurance Process (“CAP”) for the 2011 fiscal year. Under the IRS CAP principally transactions that meet certain materiality thresholds are reviewed on a real-time basis shortly after their completion. Additionally, all transactions that are part of certain IRS tier and similar initiatives are audited regardless of their materiality. The program also provides for the audit of transition years that have not previously been audited. The IRS will be reviewing the Company’s 2009 and 2010 years as transition years.

During the First Quarter following its acquisition, BI received notice from the IRS that it will audit its 2008 tax year. The audit is currently in progress.

The nature of the Company’s business exposes it to various types of claims or litigation against the Company, including, but not limited to, civil rights claims relating to conditions of confinement and/or mistreatment, sexual misconduct claims brought by prisoners or detainees, medical malpractice claims, claims relating to employment matters (including, but not limited to, employment discrimination claims, union grievances and wage and hour claims), property loss claims, environmental claims, automobile liability claims, indemnification claims by its customers and other third parties, contractual claims and claims for personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with the Company’s facilities, programs, personnel or prisoners, including damages arising from a prisoner’s escape or from a disturbance or riot at a facility. Except as otherwise disclosed above, the Company does not expect the outcome of any pending claims or legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Construction Commitments

The Company is currently developing a number of projects using company financing. The Company’s management estimates that these existing capital projects will cost approximately $279.0 million, of which $96.1 million was spent through the second quarter of 2011. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects to be approximately $182.9 million, which will be spent through fiscal years 2011 and 2012. Capital expenditures related to facility maintenance costs are expected to range between $20.0 million and $25.0 million for fiscal year 2011. In addition to these current estimated capital requirements for 2011 and 2012, the Company is currently in the process of bidding on, or evaluating potential bids for the design, construction and management of a number of new projects. In the event that the Company wins bids for these projects and decides to self-finance their construction, its capital requirements in 2011 could materially increase.

Contract Terminations

Effective February 28, 2011, the Company’s contract for the management of the 424-bed North Texas ISF, located in Fort Worth, Texas, terminated.

Effective April 30, 2011, the Company’s contract for the management of the 970-bed Regional Correctional Center, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, terminated.

Effective May 29, 2011, the Company’s subsidiary in the United Kingdom no longer managed the 215-bed Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre in Kidlington, England.