Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 47,131	$ 41,337	$ 52,680	$ 52,680	$ 52,125
Restricted cash and investments, current	8,389	4,341
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	289,044	269,038
Current deferred income tax assets	25,921	25,884
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	33,256	36,806
Total current assets	403,741	377,406
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	26,058	19,578
Property and equipment, net	1,921,461	1,772,166
Contract Receivable	124,679	66,229
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	3,303	9,256
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	5,873	5,873
Goodwill	615,937	493,890
Intangible Assets, Net	229,327	155,275
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	104,237	102,535
Total Assets	3,434,616	3,002,208
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	72,567	58,155
Accrued payroll and related taxes	39,674	38,556
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	127,549	140,612
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	16,428	16,752
Total current liabilities	256,218	254,075
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	15,769	10,068
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	88,406	87,429
Capital Lease Obligations	8,992	9,856
Long-Term Debt	1,881,034	1,462,819
Non-recourse debt	$ 178,738	$ 131,968
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 1,005,290	$ 1,045,679
Noncontrolling interests	169	314
Total shareholders’ equity	1,005,459	1,045,993
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,434,616	3,002,208
The GEO Group, Inc.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	14,378	18,492	19,095		30,730
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	114,215	92,456
Current deferred income tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,087	7,022
Total current assets	132,680	117,970
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	127	228
Property and equipment, net	751,490	726,238
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	905,295	962,314
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	90	34
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	1,218,023	855,870
Other Non-Current Assets	23,176	25,635
Total Assets	3,030,881	2,688,289
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	9,582	7,549
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	39,077	47,637
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	3,000	3,001
Total current liabilities	51,659	58,187
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	(1,310)	(4,095)
Intercompany Payable	91,350	121,327
Other Non-Current Liabilities	2,858	4,372
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	1,881,034	1,462,819
Non-recourse debt	$ 0	$ 0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 1,005,290	$ 1,045,679
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,005,290	1,045,679
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,030,881	2,688,289
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2,373	782	4,744		985
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	160,899	159,505
Current deferred income tax assets	21,694	21,657
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	19,275	19,593
Total current assets	204,241	201,537
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	15,236	13,729
Property and equipment, net	1,087,819	961,896
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	147,801	119,414
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	615,448	493,389
Intangible Assets, Net	228,498	154,237
Investment in Subsidiaries	213,919	438,243
Other Non-Current Assets	111,209	110,105
Total Assets	2,624,171	2,492,550
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	47,923	47,130
Accrued payroll and related taxes	25,788	24,184
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	74,655	75,574
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	1,323	1,170
Total current liabilities	149,689	148,058
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	17,074	14,170
Intercompany Payable	961,000	942,071
Other Non-Current Liabilities	142,544	143,584
Capital Lease Obligations	8,992	9,856
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	$ 0	$ 0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 1,344,872	$ 1,234,811
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,344,872	1,234,811
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,624,171	2,492,550
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	30,380	22,063	$ 28,841		$ 20,410
Restricted cash and investments, current	8,389	4,341
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	13,930	17,077
Current deferred income tax assets	4,227	4,227
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	11,048	11,345
Total current assets	67,974	59,053
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	10,695	5,621
Property and equipment, net	82,152	84,032
Contract Receivable	124,679	66,229
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	3,303	9,256
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	5,873	5,873
Goodwill	399	467
Intangible Assets, Net	829	1,038
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	50,006	46,838
Total Assets	345,910	278,407
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	15,062	3,476
Accrued payroll and related taxes	13,886	14,372
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	14,971	18,555
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	12,105	12,581
Total current liabilities	56,024	48,984
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	5	(7)
Intercompany Payable	746	18,330
Other Non-Current Liabilities	23,158	19,507
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	$ 178,738	$ 131,968
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 87,070	$ 59,311
Noncontrolling interests	169	314
Total shareholders’ equity	87,239	59,625
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	345,910	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	(1,053,096)	(1,081,728)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,431,942)	(1,294,113)
Other Non-Current Assets	(80,154)	(80,043)
Total Assets	(2,566,346)	(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	(1,053,096)	(1,081,728)
Other Non-Current Liabilities	(80,154)	(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	$ (1,431,942)	$ (1,294,122)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(1,431,942)	(1,294,122)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (2,566,346)	$ (2,457,038)