Commitments, Contingencies and Other	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER	COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER Litigation, Claims and Assessments On February 8, 2017, the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi against the Company, Cornell Companies, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, Christopher B. Epps, the former Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and Cecil McCrory, a former consultant of the Company. The complaint alleges several statutory and common law claims, including violations of various public servant statutes, racketeering activity, antitrust law, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment and fraud. The complaint seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, exemplary damages, forfeiture of all money received by the defendants, restitution, interest, attorneys' fees, other costs, and such other expenses or damages as the court may deem proper. The complaint claims that between 2007 and 2014, the Company and Cornell Companies, Inc. received approximately $256 million in proceeds from public contracts paid for by the State of Mississippi. The Company intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself and Cornell Companies, Inc. The Company has not recorded an accrual relating to this matter at this time, as a loss is not considered probable nor reasonably estimable at this stage of the lawsuit. On October 22, 2014, former civil immigration detainees at the Aurora Immigration Detention Center filed a class action lawsuit against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (the “Court”). The complaint alleges that the Company was in violation of the Colorado Minimum Wages of Workers Act and the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act ("TVPA"). The plaintiff class claims that the Company was unjustly enriched as a result of the level of payment the detainees received for work performed at the facility, even though the voluntary work program as well as the wage rates and standards associated with the program that are at issue in the case are authorized by the Federal government under guidelines approved by the United States Congress. In February 2017, the Court granted the plaintiff-class’ motion for class certification which the Company appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. On February 9, 2018, a three-judge panel of the appellate court affirmed the class-certification order. The Company is seeking a rehearing en banc of the panel decision. The plaintiff class seeks actual damages, compensatory damages, exemplary damages, punitive damages, restitution, attorneys’ fees and costs, and such other relief as the Court may deem proper. Since the Colorado suit was initially filed, three similar lawsuits have been filed - two in Washington and one in California. In Washington, one of the two lawsuits was filed on September 9, 2017 by immigration detainees against the Company in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The second of the two lawsuits was filed on September 20, 2017 by the State Attorney General against the Company in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for Pierce County. On October 9, 2017, the Company removed the lawsuit to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. In California, a class-action lawsuit was filed on December 19, 2017 by immigration detainees against the Company in the United States District Court Eastern Division of the Central District of California. All lawsuits allege violations of the respective state’s minimum wage laws. However, only the California lawsuit, similar to the Colorado class-action, also includes claims based on violating the federal TVPA. The Company intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself and has consistently refuted the allegations and claims in these lawsuits. The Company has not recorded an accrual relating to these matters at this time, as a loss is not considered probable nor reasonably estimable at this stage of the lawsuit. The nature of the Company's business exposes it to various types of third-party legal claims or litigation against the Company, including, but not limited to, civil rights claims relating to conditions of confinement and/or mistreatment, sexual misconduct claims brought by prisoners or detainees, medical malpractice claims, product liability claims, intellectual property infringement claims, claims relating to employment matters (including, but not limited to, employment discrimination claims, union grievances and wage and hour claims), property loss claims, environmental claims, automobile liability claims, indemnification claims by its customers and other third parties, contractual claims and claims for personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with the Company's facilities, programs, electronic monitoring products, personnel or prisoners, including damages arising from a prisoner's escape or from a disturbance or riot at a facility. The Company does not expect the outcome of any pending claims or legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, the results of these claims or proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these claims or proceedings could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Other Assessment A state non-income tax audit completed in 2016 included tax periods for which the state tax authority had a number of years ago processed a substantial tax refund. At the completion of the audit fieldwork, the Company received a notice of audit findings disallowing deductions that were previously claimed by the Company, approved by the state tax authority and served as the basis for the approved refund claim. In early January 2017, the Company received a formal Notice of Assessment of Taxes and Demand for Payment from the taxing authority disallowing the deductions. The total tax, penalty and interest assessed is approximately $19.6 million. The Company has filed an administrative protest and disagrees with the assessment and intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend its position. The Company has established a reserve based on its estimate of the most probable loss based on the facts and circumstances known to date and the advice of outside counsel in connection with this matter. Commitments The Company currently has contractual commitments for a number of projects using Company financing. The Company’s management estimates that the cost of these existing capital projects will be approximately $239.5 million of which $129.7 million was spent through the first three months of 2018. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects will be $109.8 million which will be spent through 2019. Idle Facilities As of March 31, 2018, the Company is marketing approximately 5,400 vacant beds at five of its idle facilities to potential customers. The carrying values of these idle facilities, which are included in Property and Equipment, Net in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, totaled $138.5 million as of March 31, 2018, excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities. There was no indication of impairment related to the Company's idle facilities at March 31, 2018.

COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER

Litigation, Claims and Assessments

On February 8, 2017, the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi against the Company, Cornell Companies, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, Christopher B. Epps, the former Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and Cecil McCrory, a former consultant of the Company. The complaint alleges several statutory and common law claims, including violations of various public servant statutes, racketeering activity, antitrust law, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment and fraud. The complaint seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, exemplary damages, forfeiture of all money received by the defendants, restitution, interest, attorneys' fees, other costs, and such other expenses or damages as the court may deem proper. The complaint claims that between 2007 and 2014, the Company and Cornell Companies, Inc. received approximately $256 million in proceeds from public contracts paid for by the State of Mississippi. The Company intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself and Cornell Companies, Inc. The Company has not recorded an accrual relating to this matter at this time, as a loss is not considered probable nor reasonably estimable at this stage of the lawsuit.

On October 22, 2014, former civil immigration detainees at the Aurora Immigration Detention Center filed a class action lawsuit against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (the “Court”). The complaint alleges that the Company was in violation of the Colorado Minimum Wages of Workers Act and the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act ("TVPA"). The plaintiff class claims that the Company was unjustly enriched as a result of the level of payment the detainees received for work performed at the facility, even though the voluntary work program as well as the wage rates and standards associated with the program that are at issue in the case are authorized by the Federal government under guidelines approved by the United States Congress. In February 2017, the Court granted the plaintiff-class’ motion for class certification which the Company appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. On February 9, 2018, a three-judge panel of the appellate court affirmed the class-certification order. The Company is seeking a rehearing en banc of the panel decision. The plaintiff class seeks actual damages, compensatory damages, exemplary damages, punitive damages, restitution, attorneys’ fees and costs, and such other relief as the Court may deem proper. Since the Colorado suit was initially filed, three similar lawsuits have been filed - two in Washington and one in California. In Washington, one of the two lawsuits was filed on September 9, 2017 by immigration detainees against the Company in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The second of the two lawsuits was filed on September 20, 2017 by the State Attorney General against the Company in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for Pierce County. On October 9, 2017, the Company removed the lawsuit to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. In California, a class-action lawsuit was filed on December 19, 2017 by immigration detainees against the Company in the United States District Court Eastern Division of the Central District of California. All lawsuits allege violations of the respective state’s minimum wage laws. However, only the California lawsuit, similar to the Colorado class-action, also includes claims based on violating the federal TVPA. The Company intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself and has consistently refuted the allegations and claims in these lawsuits. The Company has not recorded an accrual relating to these matters at this time, as a loss is not considered probable nor reasonably estimable at this stage of the lawsuit.

The nature of the Company's business exposes it to various types of third-party legal claims or litigation against the Company, including, but not limited to, civil rights claims relating to conditions of confinement and/or mistreatment, sexual misconduct claims brought by prisoners or detainees, medical malpractice claims, product liability claims, intellectual property infringement claims, claims relating to employment matters (including, but not limited to, employment discrimination claims, union grievances and wage and hour claims), property loss claims, environmental claims, automobile liability claims, indemnification claims by its customers and other third parties, contractual claims and claims for personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with the Company's facilities, programs, electronic monitoring products, personnel or prisoners, including damages arising from a prisoner's escape or from a disturbance or riot at a facility. The Company does not expect the outcome of any pending claims or legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, the results of these claims or proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these claims or proceedings could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Other Assessment

A state non-income tax audit completed in 2016 included tax periods for which the state tax authority had a number of years ago processed a substantial tax refund. At the completion of the audit fieldwork, the Company received a notice of audit findings disallowing deductions that were previously claimed by the Company, approved by the state tax authority and served as the basis for the approved refund claim. In early January 2017, the Company received a formal Notice of Assessment of Taxes and Demand for Payment from the taxing authority disallowing the deductions. The total tax, penalty and interest assessed is approximately $19.6 million. The Company has filed an administrative protest and disagrees with the assessment and intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend its position. The Company has established a reserve based on its estimate of the most probable loss based on the facts and circumstances known to date and the advice of outside counsel in connection with this matter.

Commitments

The Company currently has contractual commitments for a number of projects using Company financing. The Company’s management estimates that the cost of these existing capital projects will be approximately $239.5 million of which $129.7 million was spent through the first three months of 2018. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects will be $109.8 million which will be spent through 2019.

Idle Facilities

As of March 31, 2018, the Company is marketing approximately 5,400 vacant beds at five of its idle facilities to potential customers. The carrying values of these idle facilities, which are included in Property and Equipment, Net in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, totaled $138.5 million as of March 31, 2018, excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities. There was no indication of impairment related to the Company's idle facilities at March 31, 2018.