Debt (Details Textual 1)	3 Months Ended							3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended								3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2012 USD ($)		Jan. 01, 2012 USD ($)		Apr. 01, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 01, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 01, 2012 GEO Amey [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 01, 2012 GEO Amey [Member] GBP (£)	Apr. 01, 2012 Non Recourse Debt Northwest Detention Center [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 09, 2011 Non Recourse Debt 2011 Revenue Bonds [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 01, 2012 MCFs Non Recourse Debt [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 MCFs Non Recourse Debt [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 02, 2011 MCFs Non Recourse Debt [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]	Feb. 10, 2011 Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Taxable Revenue Bonds STLDC [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Subordinate Notes STLDC [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 01, 2012 Australian Subsidiary's Non Recourse Debt [Member] AUD	Apr. 01, 2012 Australian Subsidiary's Non Recourse Debt [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 Australian Subsidiary's Non Recourse Debt [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 Australian Subsidiary's Non Recourse Debt [Member] AUD	Apr. 01, 2012 South Texas Detention Complex Carrying Value [Member] USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity Ownership Percentage in Joint Venture	50.00%
Debt (Textual) (Abstract)
Aggregate principal amount of taxable revenue bonds										$ 57,000,000														$ 49,500,000
Bonds fixed coupon rates minimum										4.00%								4.76%
Bonds fixed coupon rates maximum										4.10%								5.07%
Subordinated notes receivable from STLDC					5,200,000														5,000,000
Payment from restricted cash for the current portion of periodic debt service requirement						5,000,000				0
Long-term Debt, Gross					22,400,000							19,700,000
Current Portion of Non recourse Debt										6,300,000		15,800,000	15,800,000
Long-Term Debt	1,312,832,000		1,319,068,000								54,400,000
Current restricted cash										9,000,000									6,300,000
Non current restricted cash										10,100,000									11,100,000			5,200,000
Notes bear interest at a rate	7.75%										6.40%	8.47%		8.47%	7.75%	6.625%	6.625%
Non-recourse debt	201,653,000	[1]	208,532,000	[1]	102,442,000		108,335,000					77,900,000	77,900,000							38,100,000	39,400,000	40,300,000	39,500,000
Net premium of non-recourse debt												7,600,000	8,300,000
Debt service reserve fund balance												23,800,000
Interest rate terms																				variable rate quoted by certain Australian banks plus 140 basis points
Minimum value of restricted cash balance required to be maintained																				5,000,000
Ownership percentage in South African Custodial Services Pty. Limited	50.00%
Accrued interest included under line of credit								300,000
Lines of credit outstanding									10,500,000
Lines of credit facility								16,800,000
Lines of credit	$ 19,200,000								£ 12,000,000

[1] Variable interest entities or “VIEs”