Summary of Business Organization, Operations and Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual)	12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) agency state person Bed facility	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2012	Aug. 30, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Facility Management Contracts	Dec. 31, 2014 Technology	Dec. 31, 2014 Foreign Subsidiaries USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Foreign Subsidiaries USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 GEO Amey USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 GEO Amey GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2014 GEO Amey USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 GEO Amey GBP (£)	May 29, 2011 GEO Amey USD ($)	May 29, 2011 GEO Amey GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2014 Minimum	Dec. 31, 2014 Minimum Facility Management Contracts	Dec. 31, 2014 Maximum Facility Management Contracts	Dec. 31, 2014 Building and Building Improvements Minimum	Dec. 31, 2014 Building and Building Improvements Maximum	Dec. 31, 2014 Equipment and Furniture and Fixtures Minimum	Dec. 31, 2014 Equipment and Furniture and Fixtures Maximum	Dec. 31, 2014 LIBOR GEO Amey	Dec. 31, 2014 Base Rate, Bank of England GEO Amey	Dec. 31, 2014 Cornell Companies, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2014 Other Noncurrent Assets USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Noncurrent Assets USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Other Noncurrent Assets GEO Amey USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Other Noncurrent Assets GEO Amey GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Noncurrent Assets GEO Amey USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Noncurrent Assets GEO Amey GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2014 The GEO Group Australia Ravenhall Bed
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Revenue Based on Performance of Certain Targets	1.00%
Ownership percentage				100.00%	0.00%
Summary of Business Organization
Number of beds	79,000
Correctional, detention and residential treatment facilities including projects under development	98
Provision of monitoring services tracking offenders	70,000
Number of federal, state and local correctional agencies to which company provide services	900
Number of states in which the company operates	50
Common stock, shares authorized	125,000,000	90,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 41,337,000	$ 52,125,000	$ 31,755,000			$ 43,378,000			$ 22,100,000	$ 20,400,000
Accounts Receivable
Minimum period for payment receivable in arrears for services	30 days
Maximum period for payment receivable in arrears for services	60 days
Accounts receivable one year past due and still accruing																										1 year
Trade receivables																											500,000	800,000
Notes Receivable
Interest rate for subordinated loan extended to the former joint venture partner	13.00%
Notes receivable from its former joint venture partner																											1,300,000	2,000,000
Line of Credit, amount outstanding	70,000,000	340,000,000											18,600,000	12,000,000	18,600,000	12,000,000
Facility, number of beds																																	1,000
Due from joint venture, current																													16,300,000	10,500,000
Due from joint venture, non-current																															19,800,000	12,000,000
Principal amount and accrued interest at LIBOR																								3.00%	0.50%
Principal payment received													2,300,000	1,500,000
Accrued interest included under line of credit											1,500,000	900,000
Federal and state income tax overpayments	7,900,000	22,400,000
Property and Equipment
Useful life																	1 year			2 years	50 years	3 years	10 years
Asset Impairments
Property and equipment, net	1,772,166,000	1,727,798,000				1,687,159,000
Number of vacant beds at its idle facilities	3,700
Number of marketed idle facilities	4
Carrying values of idle facilities	114,900,000
Other Intangible Assets
Amortization period							13 years 4 months 24 days	7 years										3 years	18 years
Debt Issuance Costs
Deferred debt issuance cost, accumulated amortization	21,500,000	19,500,000
Debt issuance costs included in other non-current assets	$ 53,900,000	$ 33,100,000