Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 23,225	$ 59,638	$ 68,981	$ 41,337
Restricted cash and investments, current	48,306	8,489
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	341,596	314,097
Current deferred income tax assets	0	27,914
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	32,351	28,208
Total current assets	445,478	438,346
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	21,456	20,236
Property and equipment, net	1,919,594	1,916,386
Contract Receivable	230,927	174,141
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	1,826
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	24,154	7,399
Goodwill	615,459	615,438
Intangible Assets, Net	219,098	224,148
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	66,861	64,307
Total Assets	3,543,027	3,462,227
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	83,509	77,523
Accrued payroll and related taxes	47,247	48,477
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	126,260	135,483
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	17,586	17,141
Total current liabilities	274,602	278,624
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	11,471
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	90,789	87,694
Capital Lease Obligations	8,387	8,693
Long-Term Debt	1,884,641	1,855,810
Non-recourse debt	$ 292,879	$ 213,098
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 991,646	$ 1,006,738
Noncontrolling interests	83	99
Total shareholders’ equity	991,729	1,006,837
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,543,027	3,462,227
The GEO Group, Inc.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	11,558	37,077	12,962	18,492
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	129,625	131,747
Current deferred income tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,518	1,190
Total current assets	142,701	170,014
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	138	138
Property and equipment, net	743,004	746,478
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable		0
Intercompany Receivable	971,827	971,291
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	713	710
Goodwill	79	79
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	1,110,983	1,106,546
Other Non-Current Assets	1,746	2,387
Total Assets	2,971,191	2,997,643
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	6,549	9,731
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	38,226	43,043
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	3,000	3,000
Total current liabilities	47,775	$ 55,774
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0
Intercompany Payable	42,792	$ 76,427
Other Non-Current Liabilities	4,335	2,894
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	1,884,641	1,855,810
Non-recourse debt	$ 0	$ 0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 991,648	$ 1,006,738
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	991,648	1,006,738
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,971,191	2,997,643
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	12,433	782
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	191,458	162,538
Current deferred income tax assets	0	23,120
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	22,380	17,917
Total current assets	213,838	203,575
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	17,342	16,386
Property and equipment, net	1,095,108	1,088,417
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable		0
Intercompany Receivable	52,704	86,519
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	11,898	(102)
Goodwill	614,941	614,941
Intangible Assets, Net	218,354	223,426
Investment in Subsidiaries	453,595	453,636
Other Non-Current Assets	119,148	116,561
Total Assets	2,796,928	2,803,359
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	59,866	54,675
Accrued payroll and related taxes	32,311	35,516
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	77,020	78,510
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	1,507	1,477
Total current liabilities	170,704	170,178
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	11,120
Intercompany Payable	972,513	967,048
Other Non-Current Liabilities	143,048	143,887
Capital Lease Obligations	8,387	8,693
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	$ 0	$ 0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 1,502,276	$ 1,502,433
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,502,276	1,502,433
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,796,928	2,803,359
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	11,667	22,561	$ 43,586	$ 22,063
Restricted cash and investments, current	48,306	8,489
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	20,513	19,812
Current deferred income tax assets	0	4,794
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	9,713	10,310
Total current assets	90,199	65,966
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	3,976	3,712
Property and equipment, net	81,482	81,491
Contract Receivable	230,927	174,141
Direct Finance Lease Receivable		1,826
Intercompany Receivable	3,123	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	11,543	6,791
Goodwill	439	418
Intangible Assets, Net	744	722
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,190	0
Other Non-Current Assets	26,034	25,486
Total Assets	450,657	360,553
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	17,094	13,117
Accrued payroll and related taxes	14,936	12,961
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	12,274	15,139
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	13,079	12,664
Total current liabilities	57,383	53,881
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	351
Intercompany Payable	12,349	14,335
Other Non-Current Liabilities	23,473	21,040
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	$ 292,879	$ 213,098
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	$ 64,490	$ 57,749
Noncontrolling interests	83	99
Total shareholders’ equity	64,573	57,848
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	450,657	360,553
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	(1,260)	(1,209)
Total current assets	(1,260)	(1,209)
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Contract Receivable	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable		0
Intercompany Receivable	(1,027,654)	(1,057,810)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,566,768)	(1,560,182)
Other Non-Current Assets	(80,067)	(80,127)
Total Assets	(2,675,749)	(2,699,328)
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(1,260)	(1,209)
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,260)	(1,209)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(1,027,654)	(1,057,810)
Other Non-Current Liabilities	(80,067)	(80,127)
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	$ (1,566,768)	$ (1,560,182)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(1,566,768)	(1,560,182)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (2,675,749)	$ (2,699,328)