Business Combination (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jul. 03, 2011

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Pro forma financial information

	Thirteen Weeks Ended				Twenty-six Weeks Ended
	July 3, 2011		July 4, 2010		July 3, 2011		July 4, 2010
Pro forma revenues	$	407,817	$	411,747	$	813,174	$	824,738
Pro forma net income attributable to The GEO Group, Inc. shareholders	$	21,969	$	23,342	$	41,606	$	42,585

BIIHolding [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Purchase price allocation

	Acquisition Date						Adjusted Acquisition
	Estimated Fair Value as			Measurement Period			Date Estimated Fair
	of April 3, 2011			Adjustments			Value as of July 3, 2011
Accounts receivable	$	18,321		$	—		$	18,321
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		3,783			—			3,783
Deferred income tax assets		15,970			—			15,970
Property and equipment		22,359			901			23,260
Intangible assets		126,900			(600	)		126,300
Other non-current assets		8,884			(119	)		8,765
Total assets acquired	$	196,217		$	182		$	196,399
Accounts payable		(3,977	)		—			(3,977	)
Accrued expenses		(8,461	)		—			(8,461	)
Deferred income tax liabilities		(43,824	)		—			(43,824	)
Other non-current liabilities		(11,431	)		—			(11,431	)
Long-term debt		(2,014	)		—			(2,014	)
Total liabilities assumed		(69,707	)		—			(69,707	)
Total identifiable net assets		126,510			182			126,692
Goodwill		283,097			(182	)		282,915
Total cash consideration	$	409,607		$	—		$	409,607

Cornell Companies, Inc. [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Purchase price allocation

	Acquisition Date						Adjusted Acquisition
	Estimated Fair Value as of			Measurement Period			Date Estimated Fair
	January 2, 2011			Adjustments			Value as of July 3, 2011
Accounts receivable	$	55,142		$	294		$	55,436
Prepaid and other current assets		13,314			(333	)		12,981
Deferred income tax assets		21,273			—			21,273
Restricted assets		44,096			—			44,096
Property and equipment		462,771			—			462,771
Intangible assets		75,800			—			75,800
Out of market lease assets		472			—			472
Other long-term assets		7,510			—			7,510
Total assets acquired		680,378			(39	)		680,339
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		(56,918	)		977			(55,941	)
Fair value of non-recourse debt		(120,943	)		—			(120,943	)
Out of market lease liabilities		(24,071	)		—			(24,071	)
Deferred income tax liabilities		(42,771	)		—			(42,771	)
Other long-term liabilities		(1,368	)		—			(1,368	)
Total liabilities assumed		(246,071	)		977			(245,094	)
Total identifiable net assets		434,307			938			435,245
Goodwill		204,724			(938	)		203,786
Fair value of Cornell’s net assets		639,031			—			639,031
Noncontrolling interest		(20,700	)		—			(20,700	)
Total consideration for Cornell, net of cash acquired	$	618,331		$	—		$	618,331