Debt instrument coupon rate.

No definition available.

Name:	geo_DebtInstrumentCouponRate
Namespace Prefix:	geo_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Debt Default, Description of Violation or Event of Default, Failure to Comply with Other Indenture Agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	geo_DebtInstrumentDebtDefaultDescriptionofViolationorEventofDefaultFailuretoComplywithOtherIndentureAgreementsTerm
Namespace Prefix:	geo_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Debt Default, Description of Violation or Event of Default, Interest Payment Failure, Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	geo_DebtInstrumentDebtDefaultDescriptionofViolationorEventofDefaultInterestPaymentFailureTerm
Namespace Prefix:	geo_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Debt Default, Description of Violation or Event of Default, Maximum Excess Proceeds on Sale of Asset

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	geo_DebtInstrumentDebtDefaultDescriptionofViolationorEventofDefaultMaximumExcessProceedsonSaleofAsset
Namespace Prefix:	geo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt instrument yield to maturity percentage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	geo_DebtInstrumentYieldToMaturityPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	geo_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Date the debt agreement requires the first payment to be made, in YYYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123599511&loc=d3e64711-112823

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentDateOfFirstRequiredPayment1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495323-112611

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124435984&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124429444&loc=SL124452920-239629

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69C
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466577&loc=SL123495737-112612

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466577&loc=SL123495735-112612

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Description of the frequency of periodic payments (monthly, quarterly, annual).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFrequencyOfPeriodicPayment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in YYYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495323-112611

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123874694&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Description of the payment terms of the debt instrument (for example, whether periodic payments include principal and frequency of payments) and discussion about any contingencies associated with the payment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(3))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123599511&loc=d3e64711-112823

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentPaymentTerms
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage price of original principal amount of debt at which debt can be redeemed by the issuer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph e
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123599511&loc=d3e64711-112823

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPricePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=geo_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesDue2024Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis=geo_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodOnOrPriorToOctober152019Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Debt (5.875% Senior Notes Due 2024) (Details) - 5.875% Senior Notes due 2024 - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 25, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	5.875%	5.875%
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	5.875%	5.875%	5.875%
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 250,000,000.0
Debt instrument, coupon rate	5.875%
Debt instrument, yield to maturity	5.875%
Debt instrument, payment terms	Interest is payable semi-annually in cash in arrears on April 15 and October 15, beginning April 15, 2015.
Debt instrument, frequency of payment	semi-annually
Debt instrument, commencement date of first required payment	Oct. 15, 2024
Debt instrument, maturity date	Apr. 15, 2015
Violation or event of default, interest payment failure, term	30 days
Violation or event of default, interest payment failure, maximum excess proceeds on sale of asset	$ 25,000,000.0
Violation or event of default, interest payment failure, failure to comply with other indenture agreements, term	60 days
Senior Notes \| Redemption, Period On Or Prior To October 15, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price percentage	100.00%