Summary of Business Organization, Operations and Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details)				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 26, 2021 bed	Jun. 19, 2020 bed	Mar. 24, 2020	Feb. 28, 2011 GBP (£) director £ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) Property	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 bed	Dec. 31, 2020 facility	Dec. 31, 2020 person	Dec. 31, 2020 detainee	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020 Property	Dec. 31, 2020 GBP (£)	Jan. 01, 2013
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds | bed									93,000
Correctional, detention and residential treatment facilities including projects under development | facility										118
Provision of monitoring services tracking offenders (more than 139,000 offenders) | person											210,000
Revenue					$ 2,350,098,000	$ 2,477,922,000	$ 2,331,386,000
Minimum % of REIT taxable income to be paid as dividend annually													90.00%			90.00%
Cash and cash equivalents						32,463,000	31,255,000	$ 283,524,000
Minimum period for payment receivable in arrears for services					30 days
Maximum period for payment receivable in arrears for services					60 days
Federal and state income tax overpayments						$ 3,300,000		0
Assets held for sale, number of properties | Property						4
Assets Held for Sale						$ 6,059,000		9,108,000
Property and Equipment, Net						2,144,722,000	$ 2,158,610,000	2,122,195,000
Number of marketed idle facilities									990	2
Carrying values of idle facilities								24,000,000
Impairment charge					$ 5,700,000
Discount rate utilized to adjust cash flow					10.00%
Goodwill impairment charge					$ 21,146,000
Impairment of indefinite lived intangible assets					$ 0
Capitalized computer software, net						14,200,000		12,200,000
Deferred debt issuance cost, accumulated amortization						37,000,000.0		43,400,000
Debt issuance costs included in other non-current assets						30,500,000		24,500,000
Variable interest entity ownership percentage in joint venture					50.00%
Life term of contract			5 years
Partnership interest share amount | £				£ 100
Units of partnership interest, amount | shares				100
Value per partnership interest shares | £ / shares				£ 1
Directors appointed to board by each party | director				3
General liability insurance maximum recoverage per occurrence					$ 70,000,000.0
General liability insurance maximum coverage in annual aggregate					90,000,000.0
GEO care insurance maximum recoverable per occurrence					40,000,000.0
Deductible amount for general insurance liability and hospital professional insurance liability					3,000,000.0
Deductible amount for worker's compensation insurance liability								2,000,000.0
Deductible amount for automobile insurance liability					1,000,000.0
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)					$ 0	$ (3,851,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2018-13
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Change in accounting principle, accounting standards update, adopted					true
Change in accounting principle, accounting standards update, adoption date					Jan. 01, 2020
Change in accounting principle, accounting standards update, immaterial effect					true
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Change in accounting principle, accounting standards update, adopted					true
Change in accounting principle, accounting standards update, adoption date					Jan. 01, 2020
Change in accounting principle, accounting standards update, immaterial effect					true
Kensani Corrections
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Variable interest entity ownership percentage in joint venture					50.00%
Facility management contracts
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Amortization period					16 years 3 months 18 days
GEO Care
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Assets held for sale, number of properties | Property														4
Number of marketed idle facilities | facility										2
Carrying values of idle facilities								26,000,000
Number of vacant beds at its idle facilities | bed									1,100
Goodwill impairment charge					$ 21,146,000
Idle Secure Facility
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Assets held for sale, number of properties | Property														1
Idle Reentry Facility
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Assets held for sale, number of properties | Property						2								1
Youth Facility
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Assets held for sale, number of properties | Property						1								1
Other Noncurrent Assets
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Trade receivables						$ 400,000		300,000
Accrued Expenses
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Undiscounted reserves for workers compensation and general liability claims						68,200,000		78,900,000
Cornell Companies, Inc.
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable one year past due and still accruing					1 year
Foreign Subsidiaries
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents						$ 20,600,000		24,300,000
Ravenhall | The GEO Group Australia
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Facility, number of beds | bed									1,300
GEO Amey
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Ownership percentage													50.00%
Units of partnership interest, amount | shares				50
Line of credit, amount outstanding | £															£ 12,000,000.0
GEO UK
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Variable interest entity ownership percentage in joint venture					50.00%
Units of partnership interest, amount | shares				50
SACS
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Life term of contract					25 years
Reduction of government guarantee in case of default					80.00%
Investment in joint venture								$ 11,000,000
Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds in detention facility | bed		1,900
Life term of contract		4 years
Ravenhall | Subsequent Event | Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds in detention facility | bed	1,940
Expiration date	May 31, 2021
Spring Correctional Facility | Subsequent Event | Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds in detention facility | bed	1,732
Expiration date	Nov. 30, 2021
Flightline Correctional Facility | Subsequent Event | Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds in detention facility | bed	1,800
Expiration date	Nov. 30, 2021
North Lake Correctional Facility | Subsequent Event | Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds in detention facility | bed	1,800
Expiration date	Sep. 30, 2022
Reeves County Detention Center I & II | Subsequent Event | Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds in detention facility | bed	1,800
Expiration date	Sep. 30, 2022
Reeves County Detention Center III | Subsequent Event | Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of beds in detention facility | bed	1,376
Expiration date	Jun. 30, 2022
Great Plains, Big Spring, Flightline, Northlake Correctional Facilities, Reeves County Detention Center I & II and Reeves County Detention Center III | Bureau Of Prisons B O P
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Revenue					$ 145,000,000
Minimum
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Provision of monitoring services tracking offenders using technology products (in detainees) | detainee												100,000
Minimum | Facility management contracts
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Amortization period					3 years
Minimum | Technology
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Amortization period					7 years
Minimum | Building and Building Improvements
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Useful life					2 years
Minimum | Equipment and Furniture and Fixtures
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Useful life					3 years
Maximum | Facility management contracts
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Amortization period					21 years
Maximum | Technology
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Amortization period					8 years
Maximum | Building and Building Improvements
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Useful life					50 years
Maximum | Equipment and Furniture and Fixtures
Summary Of Business Organization Operations And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Useful life					10 years