Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Apr. 01, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Litigation, Claims and Assessments On June 22, 2011, a jury verdict for $6.5 million was returned 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. On August 22, 2011, the court entered judgment against GEO in the amount of $8.4 million, which includes pre judgment interest on the amount of the verdict from January 26, 2007, the date of the filing of the lawsuit, through the date of the jury verdict. 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. It was alleged that on January 29, 2005, Mr. Sites was harmed by his cellmate as a result of the Company's negligence. The Company disagrees with the judgment and is pursuing an appeal. A supersedeas bond in the amount of $10.0 million was posted on August 29, 2011 by the insurance company of the State of Pennsylvania, one of the Company's insurers. The Company intends to vigorously defend its rights and believes its accrual relative to this judgment 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 or $18.6 million based on exchange rates as of April 1, 2012, 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. 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, which was subsequently appealed by SARS. On March 9, 2011, SARS filed a notice that it would appeal the lower court's ruling. The Court of Appeals ruled on November 30, 2011 that the disputed expenses are deductible. Beginning in 2011, the Company is a participant in the IRS Compliance Assurance Process (“CAP”). Under the IRS CAP, 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. The nature of the Company's business exposes it to various types of third-party legal 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, product liability claims, intellectual property infringement 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, electronic monitoring products, 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 $107.7 million, of which $66.3 million was spent through the first quarter of 2012. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects to be approximately $41.4 million, which will be spent through fiscal years 2012 and 2013. Capital expenditures related to facility maintenance costs are expected to range between $30.0 million and $35.0 million for fiscal year 2012. In addition to these current estimated capital requirements for 2012 and 2013, 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 2012 and/or 2013 could materially increase. Contract Terminations On March 31, 2012, the Company's contract for the management of the 130-bed Migrant Operations Center at Guantanamo Bay NAS, Cuba terminated and was transferred to another operator. The Company does not expect that the termination of this contract will have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations and/ or cash flows. The Company is currently marketing approximately 7,000 vacant beds at eight of its idle facilities to potential customers. The carrying values of these idle facilities totaled $268.2 million as of April 1, 2012, excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Litigation, Claims and Assessments

On June 22, 2011, a jury verdict for $6.5 million was returned 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. On August 22, 2011, the court entered judgment against GEO in the amount of $8.4 million, which includes pre judgment interest on the amount of the verdict from January 26, 2007, the date of the filing of the lawsuit, through the date of the jury verdict. 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. It was alleged that on January 29, 2005, Mr. Sites was harmed by his cellmate as a result of the Company's negligence. The Company disagrees with the judgment and is pursuing an appeal. A supersedeas bond in the amount of $10.0 million was posted on August 29, 2011 by the insurance company of the State of Pennsylvania, one of the Company's insurers. The Company intends to vigorously defend its rights and believes its accrual relative to this judgment 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 or $18.6 million based on exchange rates as of April 1, 2012, 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.

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, which was subsequently appealed by SARS. On March 9, 2011, SARS filed a notice that it would appeal the lower court's ruling. The Court of Appeals ruled on November 30, 2011 that the disputed expenses are deductible.

Beginning in 2011, the Company is a participant in the IRS Compliance Assurance Process (“CAP”). Under the IRS CAP, 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.

The nature of the Company's business exposes it to various types of third-party legal 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, product liability claims, intellectual property infringement 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, electronic monitoring products, 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 $107.7 million, of which $66.3 million was spent through the first quarter of 2012. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects to be approximately $41.4 million, which will be spent through fiscal years 2012 and 2013. Capital expenditures related to facility maintenance costs are expected to range between $30.0 million and $35.0 million for fiscal year 2012. In addition to these current estimated capital requirements for 2012 and 2013, 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 2012 and/or 2013 could materially increase.

Contract Terminations

On March 31, 2012, the Company's contract for the management of the 130-bed Migrant Operations Center at Guantanamo Bay NAS, Cuba terminated and was transferred to another operator. The Company does not expect that the termination of this contract will have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations and/ or cash flows.

The Company is currently marketing approximately 7,000 vacant beds at eight of its idle facilities to potential customers. The carrying values of these idle facilities totaled $268.2 million as of April 1, 2012, excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities.