Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 68,981	$ 41,337	$ 38,063	$ 52,125
Restricted cash and investments, current	8,489	4,341
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	261,280	269,038
Current deferred income tax assets	25,884	25,884
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	44,420	36,806
Total current assets	409,054	377,406
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	23,217	19,578
Property and equipment, net	1,907,063	1,772,166
Contract Receivable	87,042	66,229
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	7,077	9,256
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	5,873	5,873
Goodwill	601,205	493,890
Intangible Assets, Net	224,171	155,275
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	103,219	102,535
Total Assets	3,367,921	3,002,208
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	60,535	58,155
Accrued payroll and related taxes	55,851	38,556
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	135,821	140,612
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	16,648	16,752
Total current liabilities	268,855	254,075
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	10,068	10,068
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	99,666	87,429
Capital Lease Obligations	9,574	9,856
Long-Term Debt	1,795,267	1,462,819
Non-recourse debt	158,060	131,968
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	1,026,154	1,045,679
Noncontrolling interests	277	314
Total shareholders’ equity	1,026,431	1,045,993
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,367,921	3,002,208
The GEO Group, Inc.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	12,962	18,492	7,498	30,730
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	97,109	92,456
Current deferred income tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	5,545	7,022
Total current assets	115,616	117,970
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	126	228
Property and equipment, net	738,622	726,238
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	963,417	962,314
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	34	34
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	1,146,712	855,870
Other Non-Current Assets	24,635	25,635
Total Assets	2,989,162	2,688,289
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	8,471	7,549
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	41,609	47,637
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	3,001	3,001
Total current liabilities	53,081	58,187
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	(4,351)	(4,095)
Intercompany Payable	114,710	121,327
Other Non-Current Liabilities	4,301	4,372
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	1,795,267	1,462,819
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	1,026,154	1,045,679
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,026,154	1,045,679
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,989,162	2,688,289
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	12,433	782	3,835	985
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	150,561	159,505
Current deferred income tax assets	21,657	21,657
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	21,853	19,593
Total current assets	206,504	201,537
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	15,175	13,729
Property and equipment, net	1,085,096	961,896
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	138,933	119,414
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	600,731	493,389
Intangible Assets, Net	223,194	154,237
Investment in Subsidiaries	238,847	438,243
Other Non-Current Assets	111,702	110,105
Total Assets	2,620,182	2,492,550
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	49,757	47,130
Accrued payroll and related taxes	42,159	24,184
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	67,228	75,574
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	1,241	1,170
Total current liabilities	160,385	148,058
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	14,414	14,170
Intercompany Payable	971,134	942,071
Other Non-Current Liabilities	142,741	143,584
Capital Lease Obligations	9,574	9,856
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	1,321,934	1,234,811
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,321,934	1,234,811
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,620,182	2,492,550
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	43,586	22,063	26,730	20,410
Restricted cash and investments, current	8,489	4,341
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	13,610	17,077
Current deferred income tax assets	4,227	4,227
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	18,176	11,345
Total current assets	88,088	59,053
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	7,916	5,621
Property and equipment, net	83,345	84,032
Contract Receivable	87,042	66,229
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	7,077	9,256
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	5,873	5,873
Goodwill	440	467
Intangible Assets, Net	977	1,038
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	46,957	46,838
Total Assets	327,715	278,407
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	2,307	3,476
Accrued payroll and related taxes	13,692	14,372
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	28,138	18,555
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	12,406	12,581
Total current liabilities	56,543	48,984
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	5	(7)
Intercompany Payable	16,506	18,330
Other Non-Current Liabilities	32,699	19,507
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	158,060	131,968
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	63,625	59,311
Noncontrolling interests	277	314
Total shareholders’ equity	63,902	59,625
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	327,715	278,407
Eliminations
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	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(1,154)	(1,154)
Total current assets	(1,154)	(1,154)
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Contract Receivable	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	(1,102,350)	(1,081,728)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,385,559)	(1,294,113)
Other Non-Current Assets	(80,075)	(80,043)
Total Assets	(2,569,138)	(2,457,038)
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(1,154)	(1,154)
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,154)	(1,154)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(1,102,350)	(1,081,728)
Other Non-Current Liabilities	(80,075)	(80,034)
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	(1,385,559)	(1,294,122)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(1,385,559)	(1,294,122)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (2,569,138)	$ (2,457,038)