Debt (Details Textual)	12 Months Ended											3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended										3 Months Ended					12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($) Bed guarantees	Dec. 31, 2012 ZAR	Jan. 01, 2012 USD ($) Bed	Jan. 01, 2012 ZAR Bed	Dec. 31, 2012 CAD	Aug. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Aug. 30, 2012	Apr. 24, 2012	Aug. 31, 2010	Aug. 04, 2010 USD ($)	Aug. 12, 2010 Cornell Companies, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 03, 2010 Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum	Feb. 10, 2011 Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]	Oct. 31, 2009 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member]	Aug. 22, 2011 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 10, 2011 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member]	Oct. 21, 2010 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 20, 2009 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes Due 2012 [Member]	Aug. 12, 2010 Senior Notes Due 2012 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 MCFs Non Recourse Debt [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 MCFs Non Recourse Debt [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Subordinate Notes STLDC [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 03, 2010 Prior Senior Credit Agreement [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2010 Prior Senior Credit Agreement [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 ABR Loans [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Eurodollar Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Term Loan A, B And A - 2 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Revolver [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 Revolver [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 12, 2010 Revolver [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Additional Revolver [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Term Loan A - 2 [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 Term Loan A - 2 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Term Loan A - 3 [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 30, 2012 Term Loan A - 3 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Term Loan A [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 12, 2010 Term Loan A [Member] Cornell Companies, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Term Loan B [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2010 Term Loan B [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Letter of credit [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2010 Senior Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Notice Period for Redemption of Note																	not less than 30 nor more than 60 days
Bond Redemption Costs	$ 100,000
Non-recourse debt	123,482,000		241,798,000			77,900,000																			77,900,000
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage						100.00%	0.00%	100.00%
Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable, Gross, Noncurrent																										5,000,000
Debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Reduced senior credit facility interest rate																													1.75%	2.75%
Libor floor rate			1.50%	1.50%
Reduced LIBOR floor rate			1.00%	1.00%
Senior Notes	49,500,000		250,000,000											300,000,000				300,000,000																		150,000,000	150,000,000	100,000,000	100,000,000	150,000,000	290,000,000	200,000,000	280,000,000
Notes bear interest at a rate									8.47%					6.625%	6.625%		7.75%		6.625%		7.75%	6.625%	10.75%	8.47%	8.47%				2.25%	3.25%
Borrowing capacity remaining																																500,000,000
LIBOR interest rate																																LIBOR plus 2.75%				LIBOR plus 2.75%		LIBOR plus 2.75%		LIBOR plus 2.75%		LIBOR plus 2.75% with a LIBOR floor of 1.00%
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis																																						LIBOR plus 2.75%
Outstanding balance in Senior Credit Facility	1,492,904,000																														562,400,000				203,700,000									61,300,000
Long-term Line of Credit	235,000,000		302,000,000
Transaction costs under obligation											14,000,000
Cash consideration payment to Cornell stockholders											84,900,000
Repayment of borrowing and accrued interest																							114,400,000					267,700,000						67,500,000
Principal Amount of Senior notes due 2021 exchanged																		300,000,000		250,000,000
Increased additional borrowing capacity														300,000,000		250,000,000																	100,000,000				150,000,000
Financing fess related to senior credit facility																																													6,700,000
Write off amount of deferred financing fees																											7,900,000
Debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Deferred financing fees, net of accumulated amortization	9,000,000
Borrowing under amended senior credit facility			150,000,000
Remaining cash received under borrowing capacity										3,200,000
Weighted average interest rates on outstanding borrowings under Senior Credit Facility	3.20%	3.20%	3.40%	3.40%
Number of beds in South Texas detention complex in Frio County	1,904	1,904	1,904	1,904
Maximum amount of obligation of SACS guaranteed through the issuance of letters of credit				60,000,000
Percentage of amount payable by SACS into the restricted account guaranteed by company	60.00%	60.00%
Stand by letters of credit provided as security for guarantee		8,400,000
Remaining guarantee under letter of credit	4,100,000
Maximum loan amount under stand by facility to SACS	2,400,000	20,000,000
Reduction in stand by letter of credit guarantee		34,800,000
Potential estimated exposure of tax obligations	2,500,000				2,500,000
Liability related to potential tax exposure	2,200,000		2,000,000
Letters of guarantee outstanding relating to performance guarantees	$ 12,600,000
Number of letters of guarantee outstanding under separate international facilities relating to performance guarantees	8	8
Senior Secured Leverage Ratio There After												2.50	2.75