Shareholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Equity [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity

2. Shareholders’ Equity

Common Stock

Each holder of the Company’s common stock is entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon by the Company’s shareholders. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of common stock are entitled to share equally in all assets available for distribution after payment of all liabilities, subject to the liquidation preference of shares of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding.

Distributions

As previously discussed, on December 2, 2021, the Company announced that its Board unanimously approved a plan to terminate the Company's REIT status and become a taxable C Corporation, effective for the year ended December 31, 2021. As a result, the Company is no longer required to operate under REIT rules, including the requirement to distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The Board also voted unanimously to discontinue the Company's quarterly dividend.

Stock Buyback Program

On February 14, 2018, the Company announced that its Board authorized a stock buyback program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to a maximum of $200 million of its shares of common stock. The stock buyback program was funded primarily with cash on hand, free cash flow and borrowings under the Company's $900 million revolving credit facility (the "Revolver"). The program expired on October 20, 2020. The stock buyback program was intended to be implemented through purchases made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, in accordance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") requirements. The stock buyback program did not obligate the Company to purchase any specific amount of its common stock and could have been suspended or extended at any time at the discretion of the Company's Board. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company purchased 553,665 shares of its common stock at a cost of $9.0 million primarily purchased with proceeds from the Company’s Revolver. There were no purchases of the Company's common stock during the years ended December 31, 2021 or 2019.

Automatic Shelf Registration on Form S-3

On October 30, 2020, the Company filed an automatic shelf registration on Form S-3 with the SEC that enables the Company to offer for sale, from time to time and as the capital markets permit, an unspecified amount of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, guarantees of debt securities, warrants and units. The shelf registration statement is automatically effective and is valid for three years.

Prospectus Supplement

On June 28, 2021, in connection with the shelf registration, the Company filed with the SEC a prospectus supplement related to the offer and sale from time to time of the Company’s common stock at an aggregate offering price of up to $300 million through sales agents. Sales of shares of the Company’s common stock under the prospectus supplement and equity distribution agreements entered into with the sales agents, if any, will be made in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be “at the market” offerings as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933. There were no shares of common stock sold under this prospectus supplement during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Preferred Stock

In April 1994, the Company’s Board authorized 30 million shares of “blank check” preferred stock. The Board is authorized to determine the rights and privileges of any future issuance of preferred stock such as voting and dividend rights, liquidation privileges, redemption rights and conversion privileges. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no shares of preferred stock outstanding.

Noncontrolling Interests

The Company includes the results of operations and financial position of SACM or the “joint venture”, its majority-owned subsidiary, in its consolidated financial statements. SACM was established in 2001 to operate correctional centers in South Africa. The joint venture currently provides security and other management services for the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre in the Republic of South Africa under a 25-year management contract which commenced in February 2002. The Company’s and the joint venture partner’s shares in the profits of the joint venture are 88.75% and 11.25%, respectively. There were no changes in the Company’s ownership percentage of the consolidated subsidiary during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.