Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 47,044	$ 41,337	$ 37,360	$ 52,125
Restricted cash and investments, current	7,946	4,341
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	270,131	269,038
Current deferred income tax assets	25,921	25,884
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	32,672	36,806
Total current assets	383,714	377,406
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	21,047	19,578
Property and equipment, net	1,919,266	1,772,166
Contract Receivable	110,176	66,229
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	5,339	9,256
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	5,873	5,873
Goodwill	616,180	493,890
Intangible Assets, Net	234,525	155,275
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	105,331	102,535
Total Assets	3,401,451	3,002,208
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	59,567	58,155
Accrued payroll and related taxes	45,113	38,556
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	134,783	140,612
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	16,822	16,752
Total current liabilities	256,285	254,075
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	15,769	10,068
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	85,919	87,429
Capital Lease Obligations	9,286	9,856
Long-Term Debt	1,844,763	1,462,819
Non-recourse debt	$ 172,852	$ 131,968
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 1,016,344	$ 1,045,679
Noncontrolling interests	233	314
Total shareholders’ equity	1,016,577	1,045,993
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,401,451	3,002,208
The GEO Group, Inc.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	5,852	18,492	1,184	30,730
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	105,451	92,456
Current deferred income tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,375	7,022
Total current assets	115,678	117,970
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	131	228
Property and equipment, net	747,862	726,238
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	944,769	962,314
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	90	34
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	1,182,865	855,870
Other Non-Current Assets	23,555	25,635
Total Assets	3,014,950	2,688,289
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	8,058	7,549
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	42,941	47,637
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	3,000	3,001
Total current liabilities	53,999	58,187
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	(4,670)	(4,095)
Intercompany Payable	100,410	121,327
Other Non-Current Liabilities	4,104	4,372
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	1,844,763	1,462,819
Non-recourse debt	$ 0	0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 1,016,344	1,045,679
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,016,344	1,045,679
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,014,950	2,688,289
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	8,013	782	2,919	985
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	151,966	159,505
Current deferred income tax assets	21,694	21,657
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	19,702	19,593
Total current assets	201,375	201,537
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	16,126	13,729
Property and equipment, net	1,088,613	961,896
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	116,878	119,414
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	615,652	493,389
Intangible Assets, Net	233,570	154,237
Investment in Subsidiaries	217,278	438,243
Other Non-Current Assets	110,144	110,105
Total Assets	2,599,636	2,492,550
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	49,975	47,130
Accrued payroll and related taxes	30,076	24,184
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	68,924	75,574
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	1,323	1,170
Total current liabilities	150,298	148,058
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	20,434	14,170
Intercompany Payable	953,347	942,071
Other Non-Current Liabilities	143,356	143,584
Capital Lease Obligations	9,286	9,856
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	$ 0	0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 1,322,915	1,234,811
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,322,915	1,234,811
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,599,636	2,492,550
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	33,179	22,063	$ 33,257	$ 20,410
Restricted cash and investments, current	7,946	4,341
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	12,714	17,077
Current deferred income tax assets	4,227	4,227
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	9,749	11,345
Total current assets	67,815	59,053
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	4,790	5,621
Property and equipment, net	82,791	84,032
Contract Receivable	110,176	66,229
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	5,339	9,256
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	5,873	5,873
Goodwill	438	467
Intangible Assets, Net	955	1,038
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	51,748	46,838
Total Assets	329,925	278,407
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	1,534	3,476
Accrued payroll and related taxes	15,037	14,372
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	24,072	18,555
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	12,499	12,581
Total current liabilities	53,142	48,984
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	5	(7)
Intercompany Payable	7,890	18,330
Other Non-Current Liabilities	18,575	19,507
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	$ 172,852	131,968
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 77,228	59,311
Noncontrolling interests	233	314
Total shareholders’ equity	77,461	59,625
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	329,925	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	(1,061,647)	(1,081,728)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,400,143)	(1,294,113)
Other Non-Current Assets	(80,116)	(80,043)
Total Assets	(2,543,060)	(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	(1,061,647)	(1,081,728)
Other Non-Current Liabilities	(80,116)	(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	$ (1,400,143)	(1,294,122)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(1,400,143)	(1,294,122)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (2,543,060)	$ (2,457,038)