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Business Segments and Geographic Information (Details Textual) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Number of reportable business segment 4us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments    
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates, net of income tax provision $ 1,485,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments $ 1,484,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments  
SACS      
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Ownership percentage in Entity 50.00%us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_SouthAfricanCustodialServicesPtyLimitedMember
   
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates, net of income tax provision 1,100,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_SouthAfricanCustodialServicesPtyLimitedMember
1,200,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_SouthAfricanCustodialServicesPtyLimitedMember
 
Investment in Joint Ventures 8,800,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_SouthAfricanCustodialServicesPtyLimitedMember
  8,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_SouthAfricanCustodialServicesPtyLimitedMember
Geo Amey      
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Ownership percentage in Entity 50.00%us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_GeoAmeyMember
   
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates, net of income tax provision 400,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_GeoAmeyMember
300,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_GeoAmeyMember
 
Investment in Joint Ventures $ (1,700,000)us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_GeoAmeyMember
  $ (2,200,000)us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= geo_GeoAmeyMember