Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012	Jan. 02, 2011	Jan. 03, 2010
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 31,755,000	$ 43,378,000	$ 38,088,000	$ 28,592,000
Restricted cash and investments, current	15,654,000	42,534,000
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	246,635,000	265,250,000
Current deferred income tax assets, net	18,290,000	28,580,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	24,849,000	49,025,000
Current assets of discontinued operations	0	30,562,000
Total current assets	337,183,000	459,329,000
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	32,756,000	56,925,000
Property and equipment, net	1,687,159,000	1,688,356,000
Assets Held for Sale	3,243,000	4,363,000
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	26,757,000	32,146,000
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	2,532,000	1,437,000
Goodwill	490,308,000	490,296,000	218,824,000
Intangible Assets, Net	178,318,000	195,716,000
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	80,938,000	79,577,000
Non-Current Assets of Discontinued Operations	0	41,778,000
Total Assets	2,839,194,000	3,049,923,000
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	50,110,000	68,033,000
Accrued payroll and related taxes	39,322,000	34,806,000
Accrued expenses	116,557,000	125,836,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	53,882,000	53,653,000
Current liabilities of discontinued operations	0	6,490,000
Total current liabilities	259,871,000	288,818,000
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	15,703,000	125,516,000
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	82,025,000	54,106,000
Capital Lease Obligations	11,926,000	13,064,000
Long-Term Debt	1,317,529,000	1,319,068,000
Non-recourse debt	104,836,000	208,532,000
Non-Current Liabilities of Discontinued Operations	0	2,298,000
Commitments and Contingencies
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.	1,046,812,000	1,023,218,000
Noncontrolling interests	492,000	15,303,000
Total shareholders’ equity	1,047,304,000	1,038,521,000	1,039,490,000	665,098,000
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,839,194,000	3,049,923,000
The GEO Group Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	4,764,000	15,086,000	2,614,000	12,376,000
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	124,670,000	123,426,000
Current deferred income tax assets, net	13,106,000	14,063,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	8,657,000	17,169,000
Current assets of discontinued operations		5,021,000
Total current assets	151,197,000	174,765,000
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	7,953,000	7,029,000
Property and equipment, net	633,458,000	620,124,000
Assets Held for Sale	0	3,083,000
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	591,273,000	387,013,000
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	16,230,000	0
Goodwill	34,000	34,000
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	1,151,998,000	1,333,885,000
Other Non-Current Assets	38,574,000	40,695,000
Non-Current Assets of Discontinued Operations		697,000
Total Assets	2,590,717,000	2,567,325,000
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	29,889,000	47,159,000
Accrued payroll and related taxes	4,774,000	2,855,000
Accrued expenses	94,350,000	69,585,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	33,925,000	19,037,000
Current liabilities of discontinued operations	0	542,000
Total current liabilities	162,938,000	139,178,000
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	42,879,000
Intercompany Payable	0	14,027,000
Other Non-Current Liabilities	63,657,000	29,384,000
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	1,317,310,000	1,318,639,000
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Non-Current Liabilities of Discontinued Operations		0
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.	1,046,812,000	1,023,218,000
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,046,812,000	1,023,218,000
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,590,717,000	2,567,325,000
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,917,000	3,092,000	175,000	69,000
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	102,704,000	122,758,000
Current deferred income tax assets, net	1,498,000	10,729,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	5,890,000	22,670,000
Current assets of discontinued operations		20,284,000
Total current assets	112,009,000	179,533,000
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	0	0
Property and equipment, net	939,995,000	817,568,000
Assets Held for Sale	3,243,000	1,280,000
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	14,305,000	13,356,000
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	489,502,000	489,502,000
Intangible Assets, Net	176,666,000	193,851,000
Investment in Subsidiaries	41,356,000	9,784,000
Other Non-Current Assets	84,931,000	73,481,000
Non-Current Assets of Discontinued Operations		40,289,000
Total Assets	1,862,007,000	1,818,644,000
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	17,407,000	16,932,000
Accrued payroll and related taxes	16,264,000	15,653,000
Accrued expenses	5,515,000	33,256,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	1,311,000	1,350,000
Current liabilities of discontinued operations	0	4,642,000
Total current liabilities	40,497,000	71,833,000
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	31,933,000	82,603,000
Intercompany Payable	586,428,000	378,005,000
Other Non-Current Liabilities	96,822,000	26,702,000
Capital Lease Obligations	11,926,000	13,064,000
Long-Term Debt	219,000	429,000
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Non-Current Liabilities of Discontinued Operations		1,668,000
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.	1,094,182,000	1,229,553,000
Noncontrolling interests	0	14,787,000
Total shareholders’ equity	1,094,182,000	1,244,340,000
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	1,862,007,000	1,818,644,000
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	25,074,000	25,200,000	35,299,000	16,147,000
Restricted cash and investments, current	15,654,000	42,534,000
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	19,261,000	19,066,000
Current deferred income tax assets, net	3,686,000	3,788,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	11,456,000	10,340,000
Current assets of discontinued operations		5,257,000
Total current assets	75,131,000	106,185,000
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	24,803,000	49,896,000
Property and equipment, net	113,706,000	250,664,000
Assets Held for Sale	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	26,757,000	32,146,000
Intercompany Receivable	0	13,990,000
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	2,532,000	1,437,000
Goodwill	772,000	760,000
Intangible Assets, Net	1,652,000	1,865,000
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	36,584,000	31,022,000
Non-Current Assets of Discontinued Operations		792,000
Total Assets	281,937,000	488,757,000
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	2,814,000	3,942,000
Accrued payroll and related taxes	18,284,000	16,298,000
Accrued expenses	17,846,000	24,149,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	18,646,000	33,266,000
Current liabilities of discontinued operations	0	1,306,000
Total current liabilities	57,590,000	78,961,000
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	34,000
Intercompany Payable	19,150,000	22,327,000
Other Non-Current Liabilities	697,000	63,641,000
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	104,836,000	208,532,000
Non-Current Liabilities of Discontinued Operations		630,000
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.	99,172,000	114,116,000
Noncontrolling interests	492,000	516,000
Total shareholders’ equity	99,664,000	114,632,000
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	281,937,000	488,757,000
Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Current deferred income tax assets, net	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(1,154,000)	(1,154,000)
Current assets of discontinued operations		0
Total current assets	(1,154,000)	(1,154,000)
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Assets Held for Sale	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	(605,578,000)	(414,359,000)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	(16,230,000)	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,193,354,000)	(1,343,669,000)
Other Non-Current Assets	(79,151,000)	(65,621,000)
Non-Current Assets of Discontinued Operations		0
Total Assets	(1,895,467,000)	(1,824,803,000)
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses	(1,154,000)	(1,154,000)
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	0	0
Current liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,154,000)	(1,154,000)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	(16,230,000)	0
Intercompany Payable	(605,578,000)	(414,359,000)
Other Non-Current Liabilities	(79,151,000)	(65,621,000)
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Non-Current Liabilities of Discontinued Operations		0
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to The GEO Group, Inc.	(1,193,354,000)	(1,343,669,000)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(1,193,354,000)	(1,343,669,000)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (1,895,467,000)	$ (1,824,803,000)