Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - continuing operations	$ 192,189	$ 255,187	$ 185,741
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - discontinued operations	0	9,053	3,371
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	192,189	264,240	189,112
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Acquisition of ownership interests in MCF	0	(35,154)	0
Proceeds from RTS divestiture	0	33,253	0
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture	(996)	0	0
Acquisition of BI and Cornell, cash consideration, net of cash acquired			(409,607)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	205	65	1,483
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale	1,969	5,641	7,121
Change in restricted cash and investments	17,412	51,189	(9,503)
Capital expenditures	(117,566)	(107,549)	(222,033)
Cash used in investing activities - continuing operations	(98,976)	(52,555)	(632,539)
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities - discontinued operations	0	(2,761)	(3,002)
Net cash used in investing activities	(98,976)	(55,316)	(635,541)
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from long term debt	1,238,000	358,000	835,395
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	2,197	621	465
Distribution to noncontrolling interests	0	(5,758)	(4,012)
Payments for purchase of treasury shares	0	(8,666)	(74,982)
Debt issuance costs - deferred	(23,834)	(1,398)	(15,462)
Debt issuance fees	(13,421)	(14,861)	0
Payments on long-term debt	(1,134,544)	(456,485)	(289,832)
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	5,425	9,276	2,446
Cash dividends paid	(147,156)	(102,435)	0
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	(319)	(460)	0
Payment for retirement of treasury stock	0	(1,036)	0
Termination of interest rate swap agreements	3,974	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(69,040)	(222,282)	454,018
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(3,803)	1,735	(2,299)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	20,370	(11,623)	5,290
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	31,755	43,378	38,088
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	52,125	31,755	43,378
The GEO Group Inc.
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - continuing operations	142,923	105,402	173,438
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - discontinued operations	0	5,810	3,475
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	142,923	111,212	176,913
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Acquisition of ownership interests in MCF		0
Proceeds from RTS divestiture		29,653
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture	(996)
Acquisition of BI and Cornell, cash consideration, net of cash acquired			(409,607)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash and investments	(167)	0	0
Capital expenditures	(79,150)	(61,426)	(191,642)
Cash used in investing activities - continuing operations		(31,773)	(601,249)
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities - discontinued operations		(634)	(696)
Net cash used in investing activities	(80,313)	(32,407)	(601,945)
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from long term debt	1,238,000	358,000	782,247
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	2,197	621	465
Distribution to noncontrolling interests		0	0
Payments for purchase of treasury shares		(8,666)	(74,982)
Debt issuance costs - deferred	(23,834)	(1,360)	(15,462)
Debt issuance fees	(13,421)	0
Payments on long-term debt	(1,098,174)	(343,987)	(257,210)
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	5,425	9,276	2,446
Cash dividends paid	(147,156)	(102,435)
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	(319)	(460)
Payment for retirement of treasury stock		(1,036)
Termination of interest rate swap agreements	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(36,644)	(89,127)	437,504
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	25,966	(10,322)	12,472
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	4,764	15,086	2,614
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	30,730	4,764	15,086
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - continuing operations	34,067	84,896	18,834
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - discontinued operations	0	3,864	7,026
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	34,067	88,760	25,860
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Acquisition of ownership interests in MCF		(35,154)
Proceeds from RTS divestiture		0
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture	0
Acquisition of BI and Cornell, cash consideration, net of cash acquired			0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	205	65	1,450
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale	1,969	5,641	7,121
Change in restricted cash and investments	(3,205)	0	0
Capital expenditures	(36,815)	(42,406)	(28,266)
Cash used in investing activities - continuing operations		(71,854)	(19,695)
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities - discontinued operations		(1,820)	(1,973)
Net cash used in investing activities	(37,846)	(73,674)	(21,668)
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from long term debt	0	0	0
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	0	0	0
Distribution to noncontrolling interests		0	0
Payments for purchase of treasury shares		0	0
Debt issuance costs - deferred	0	0	0
Debt issuance fees	0	(14,861)
Payments on long-term debt	(1,127)	(1,400)	(1,275)
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	0	0
Payment for retirement of treasury stock		0
Termination of interest rate swap agreements	3,974
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	2,847	(16,261)	(1,275)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(932)	(1,175)	2,917
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	1,917	3,092	175
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	985	1,917	3,092
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash Flow from Operating Activities:
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - continuing operations	15,199	64,889	(6,531)
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities - discontinued operations	0	(621)	(7,130)
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	15,199	64,268	(13,661)
Cash Flow from Investing Activities:
Acquisition of ownership interests in MCF		0
Proceeds from RTS divestiture		3,600
Net working capital adjustment from RTS divestiture	0
Acquisition of BI and Cornell, cash consideration, net of cash acquired			0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0	33
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale	0	0
Change in restricted cash and investments	20,784	51,189	(9,503)
Capital expenditures	(1,601)	(3,717)	(2,125)
Cash used in investing activities - continuing operations		51,072	(11,595)
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities - discontinued operations		(307)	(333)
Net cash used in investing activities	19,183	50,765	(11,928)
Cash Flow from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from long term debt	0	0	53,148
Tax benefit related to equity compensation	0	0	0
Distribution to noncontrolling interests		(5,758)	(4,012)
Payments for purchase of treasury shares		0	0
Debt issuance costs - deferred	0	(38)	0
Debt issuance fees	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	(35,243)	(111,098)	(31,347)
Proceeds from the stock options exercised	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from reissuance of treasury stock in connection with ESPP	0	0
Payment for retirement of treasury stock		0
Termination of interest rate swap agreements	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(35,243)	(116,894)	17,789
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(3,803)	1,735	(2,299)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(4,664)	(126)	(10,099)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period	25,074	25,200	35,299
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period	$ 20,410	$ 25,074	$ 25,200