Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2024	Mar. 31, 2023
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 605,672	$ 608,209
Operating expenses	441,675	433,492
Depreciation and amortization	31,365	31,923
General and administrative expenses	53,070	50,134
Operating income	79,562	92,660
Interest income	2,474	1,168
Interest expense	(51,295)	(54,258)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(39)	(136)
Income before income taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates	30,702	39,434
Provision for income taxes	8,071	12,362
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net of income tax provision of $128 and $179, respectively	28	922
Net income	22,659	27,994
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	9	9
Net income attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.	$ 22,668	$ 28,003
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
Basic	122,497	121,432
Diluted	130,987	125,139
Basic:
Net income per common share attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.-basic	$ 0.15	$ 0.19
Diluted:
Net income per common share attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.-diluted	$ 0.14	$ 0.19