Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 38,865	$ 59,638	$ 47,044	$ 41,337
Restricted cash and investments, current	72,453	8,489
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	297,253	314,097
Current deferred income tax assets	0	27,914
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	29,072	28,208
Total current assets	437,643	438,346
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	22,536	20,236
Property and equipment, net	1,913,670	1,916,386
Contract Receivable	302,575	174,141
Direct Finance Lease Receivable	0	1,826
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	24,154	7,399
Goodwill	615,446	615,438
Intangible Assets, Net	214,023	224,148
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other Non-Current Assets	70,399	64,307
Total Assets	3,600,446	3,462,227
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	92,636	77,523
Accrued payroll and related taxes	50,533	48,477
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	128,549	135,483
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	17,150	17,141
Total current liabilities	288,868	278,624
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	11,471
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	92,291	87,694
Capital Lease Obligations	8,075	8,693
Long-Term Debt	1,869,281	1,855,810
Non-recourse debt	374,434	213,098
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	967,466	1,006,738
Noncontrolling interests	31	99
Total shareholders’ equity	967,497	1,006,837
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,600,446	3,462,227
The GEO Group, Inc.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	14,727	37,077	5,852	18,492
Total Assets		2,997,643
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	8,013	782
Total Assets		2,803,359
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	24,138	22,561	$ 33,179	$ 22,063
Total Assets		360,553
Reportable Legal Entities | The GEO Group, Inc.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	14,727	37,077
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	110,299	131,747
Current deferred income tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,982	1,190
Total current assets	129,008	170,014
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	150	138
Property and equipment, net	738,819	746,478
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable		0
Intercompany Receivable	1,000,004	971,291
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	713	710
Goodwill	79	79
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	1,098,855	1,106,546
Other Non-Current Assets	16,298	2,387
Total Assets	2,983,926
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	8,368	9,731
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	39,067	43,043
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	3,000	3,000
Total current liabilities	50,435	55,774
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0
Intercompany Payable	92,498	76,427
Other Non-Current Liabilities	4,246	2,894
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	1,869,281	1,855,810
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	967,466	1,006,738
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	967,466	1,006,738
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,983,926	2,997,643
Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Subsidiary Guarantors
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash and investments, current	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	172,229	162,538
Current deferred income tax assets	0	23,120
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	18,983	17,917
Total current assets	191,212	203,575
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	17,951	16,386
Property and equipment, net	1,093,039	1,088,417
Contract Receivable	0	0
Direct Finance Lease Receivable		0
Intercompany Receivable	101,871	86,519
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	11,898	(102)
Goodwill	614,941	614,941
Intangible Assets, Net	213,281	223,426
Investment in Subsidiaries	453,636	453,636
Other Non-Current Assets	110,789	116,561
Total Assets	2,808,618
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	53,802	54,675
Accrued payroll and related taxes	36,849	35,516
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	77,585	78,510
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	1,532	1,477
Total current liabilities	169,768	170,178
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	11,120
Intercompany Payable	1,000,527	967,048
Other Non-Current Liabilities	142,534	143,887
Capital Lease Obligations	8,075	8,693
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	0	0
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	1,487,714	1,502,433
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,487,714	1,502,433
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,808,618	2,803,359
Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	24,138	22,561
Restricted cash and investments, current	72,453	8,489
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	14,725	19,812
Current deferred income tax assets	0	4,794
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	7,419	10,310
Total current assets	118,735	65,966
Restricted cash and investments, non-current	4,435	3,712
Property and equipment, net	81,812	81,491
Contract Receivable	302,575	174,141
Direct Finance Lease Receivable		1,826
Intercompany Receivable	3,087	0
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	11,543	6,791
Goodwill	426	418
Intangible Assets, Net	742	722
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,190	0
Other Non-Current Assets	23,317	25,486
Total Assets	548,862
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	30,466	13,117
Accrued payroll and related taxes	13,684	12,961
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	13,209	15,139
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	12,618	12,664
Total current liabilities	69,977	53,881
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	351
Intercompany Payable	11,937	14,335
Other Non-Current Liabilities	25,516	21,040
Capital Lease Obligations	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Non-recourse debt	374,434	213,098
Commitments & Contingencies and Other
The GEO Group, Inc. Shareholders' Equity	66,967	57,749
Noncontrolling interests	31	99
Total shareholders’ equity	66,998	57,848
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	548,862	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	(1,312)	(1,209)
Total current assets	(1,312)	(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	(1,104,962)	(1,057,810)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,554,681)	(1,560,182)
Other Non-Current Assets	(80,005)	(80,127)
Total Assets	(2,740,960)	(2,699,328)
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and related taxes	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(1,312)	(1,209)
Current portion of capital lease obligations, long-term debt and non-recourse debt	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,312)	(1,209)
Non-Current Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(1,104,962)	(1,057,810)
Other Non-Current Liabilities	(80,005)	(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	(1,554,681)	(1,560,182)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(1,554,681)	(1,560,182)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (2,740,960)	$ (2,699,328)