Subsequent Events	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	15. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Litigation In October 2021, an unfavorable jury verdict and combined $23.2 million judgments were entered against the Company in the retrial of two cases, State of Washington v. GEO Group and Nwauzor et. al. v. GEO Group (the “lawsuits”), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The original trial of the lawsuits resulted in a mistrial in June 2021 as that jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. GEO will address the need for a bond for the combined judgments and will request a stay of enforcement of the verdict and judgments while its appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is pending. GEO strongly disagrees with the verdict and judgments in the retrial of the lawsuits. GEO intends to raise several issues on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, including the applicability of the state of Washington’s Minimum Wage Act to detainees who participate in the federally mandated Voluntary Work Program at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (the “Center”), and the affirmative defenses that GEO believes were wrongly dismissed in these cases. GEO looks forward to having those and other related issues heard on appeal based on GEO’s belief that the cases were wrongly decided. GEO intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself. The lawsuits were filed by the State of Washington Attorney General and a private class of detainee plaintiffs. The plaintiffs claimed that Washington State minimum wage laws should be enforced with respect to detainees who volunteer to participate in a Voluntary Work Program administered by GEO at the Center as required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the terms of GEO’s contract. The Center houses persons in the custody of federal immigration authorities while their immigration status is being determined by the federal government. In a similar lawsuit involving a Voluntary Work Program administered by CoreCivic at an ICE Processing Center in New Mexico, Ndambi et al. v. CoreCivic, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in favor of CoreCivic in March 2021. In a unanimous decision in that case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a U.S. District Court ruling which dismissed the case and found that detainees who volunteer to participate in the Voluntary Work Program in immigration processing centers are not employees and are not owed wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act and New Mexico’s minimum wage law. The Company establishes accruals for specific legal proceedings when it is considered probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company believes that it is more likely than not that it will prevail in an appeal from the judgments in these cases. As such, under ASC 450-20-25, the Company does not believe a loss is probable and the Company has not recorded an accrual relating to those two cases at this time. 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. The Company's accruals for loss contingencies are reviewed quarterly and adjusted as additional information becomes available. The Company does not accrue for anticipated legal fees and costs but expenses those items as incurred. Refer to Note 11 – Commitments, Contingencies and Other Matters for further information. Insurance On October 1, 2021, GEO formed a wholly owned captive insurance subsidiary, Florina Insurance Company, Inc. (“Florina”) to enhance its risk financing strategies. Florina is incorporated in the state of Vermont and is licensed and regulated by the state of Vermont, including with respect to its insurance programs, levels of liquidity and other requirements. GEO began procuring insurance policies to cover deductibles for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability, medical professional liability, and directors & officers’ liability as well as procuring insurance policies for its directors’ and officers’ excess liability and excess casualty liability through Florina effective October 1, 2021.

Subsequent Events

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

15. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Litigation

In October 2021, an unfavorable jury verdict and combined $23.2 million judgments were entered against the Company in the retrial of two cases, State of Washington v. GEO Group and Nwauzor et. al. v. GEO Group (the “lawsuits”), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The original trial of the lawsuits resulted in a mistrial in June 2021 as that jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. GEO will address the need for a bond for the combined judgments and will request a stay of enforcement of the verdict and judgments while its appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is pending.

GEO strongly disagrees with the verdict and judgments in the retrial of the lawsuits. GEO intends to raise several issues on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, including the applicability of the state of Washington’s Minimum Wage Act to detainees who participate in the federally mandated Voluntary Work Program at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (the “Center”), and the affirmative defenses that GEO believes were wrongly dismissed in these cases. GEO looks forward to having those and other related issues heard on appeal based on GEO’s belief that the cases were wrongly decided. GEO intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself.

The lawsuits were filed by the State of Washington Attorney General and a private class of detainee plaintiffs. The plaintiffs claimed that Washington State minimum wage laws should be enforced with respect to detainees who volunteer to participate in a Voluntary Work Program administered by GEO at the Center as required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the terms of

GEO’s contract. The Center houses persons in the custody of federal immigration authorities while their immigration status is being determined by the federal government.

In a similar lawsuit involving a Voluntary Work Program administered by CoreCivic at an ICE Processing Center in New Mexico, Ndambi et al. v. CoreCivic, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in favor of CoreCivic in March 2021. In a unanimous decision in that case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a U.S. District Court ruling which dismissed the case and found that detainees who volunteer to participate in the Voluntary Work Program in immigration processing centers are not employees and are not owed wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act and New Mexico’s minimum wage law.

The Company establishes accruals for specific legal proceedings when it is considered probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company believes that it is more likely than not that it will prevail in an appeal from the judgments in these cases. As such, under ASC 450-20-25, the Company does not believe a loss is probable and the Company has not recorded an accrual relating to those two cases at this time. 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. The Company's accruals for loss contingencies are reviewed quarterly and adjusted as additional information becomes available. The Company does not accrue for anticipated legal fees and costs but expenses those items as incurred. Refer to Note 11 – Commitments, Contingencies and Other Matters for further information.

Insurance

On October 1, 2021, GEO formed a wholly owned captive insurance subsidiary, Florina Insurance Company, Inc. (“Florina”) to enhance its risk financing strategies. Florina is incorporated in the state of Vermont and is licensed and regulated by the state of Vermont, including with respect to its insurance programs, levels of liquidity and other requirements. GEO began procuring insurance policies to cover deductibles for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability, medical professional liability, and directors & officers’ liability as well as procuring insurance policies for its directors’ and officers’ excess liability and excess casualty liability through Florina effective October 1, 2021.