Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Jul. 01, 2012
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 $18.4 million based on exchange rates as of July 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 future 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 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 $125.6 million, of which $73.4 million was spent through the second quarter of 2012. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects to be $52.2 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 termination of this contract did not have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations and/ or cash flows. On April 10, 2012, the Company announced that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ("CFCR") notified the Company that it had rescinded the previous notice of termination regarding GEO's management contract for the 625-bed Golden State Correctional Facility ("Golden State"). Golden State, which was previously scheduled to close on June 30, 2012, will remain in operation under the Company's current contract which is effective through December 14, 2012. On April 19, 2012, the Company announced the discontinuation of its managed-only contract with the State of Mississippi, Department of Corrections for the 1,500-bed East Mississippi Correctional Facility ("East Mississippi") effective July 19, 2012. In connection with the discontinuation of East Mississippi, the Company has also discontinued its managed-only contracts with the State of Mississippi, Department of Corrections for the 1,000-bed Marshall County Correctional Facility effective August 13, 2012, and the 1,450-bed Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility effective July 1, 2012. Refer to Note 8 - Discontinued Operations. 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 $266.7 million as of July 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 $18.4 million based on exchange rates as of July 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 future 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 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 $125.6 million, of which $73.4 million was spent through the second quarter of 2012. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects to be $52.2 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 termination of this contract did not have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations and/ or cash flows.

On April 10, 2012, the Company announced that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ("CFCR") notified the Company that it had rescinded the previous notice of termination regarding GEO's management contract for the 625-bed Golden State Correctional Facility ("Golden State"). Golden State, which was previously scheduled to close on June 30, 2012, will remain in operation under the Company's current contract which is effective through December 14, 2012.

On April 19, 2012, the Company announced the discontinuation of its managed-only contract with the State of Mississippi, Department of Corrections for the 1,500-bed East Mississippi Correctional Facility ("East Mississippi") effective July 19, 2012. In connection with the discontinuation of East Mississippi, the Company has also discontinued its managed-only contracts with the State of Mississippi, Department of Corrections for the 1,000-bed Marshall County Correctional Facility effective August 13, 2012, and the 1,450-bed Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility effective July 1, 2012. Refer to Note 8 - Discontinued Operations.

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 $266.7 million as of July 1, 2012 , excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities.