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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
2. | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and include the accounts of CoreCivic on a consolidated basis with its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Certain reclassifications of 2016 and 2015 amounts have been made to conform to the 2017 presentation. Cash and Cash Equivalents CoreCivic considers all liquid debt instruments with a maturity of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts At December 31, 2017 and 2016, accounts receivable of $254.2 million and $229.9 million, respectively, were net of allowances for doubtful accounts totaling $0.8 million and $1.6 million, respectively. Accounts receivable consist primarily of amounts due from federal, state, and local government agencies for the utilization of CoreCivic's correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities, as well as for operating and managing such facilities. Accounts receivable are stated at estimated net realizable value. CoreCivic recognizes allowances for doubtful accounts to ensure receivables are not overstated due to uncollectibility. Bad debt reserves are maintained for customers based on a variety of factors, including the length of time receivables are past due, significant one-time events, and historical experience. If circumstances related to customers change, estimates of the recoverability of receivables would be further adjusted. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are carried at cost. Assets acquired by CoreCivic in conjunction with acquisitions are recorded at estimated fair market value at the time of purchase. Betterments, renewals and significant repairs that extend the life of an asset are capitalized; other repair and maintenance costs are expensed. Interest is capitalized to the asset to which it relates in connection with the construction or expansion of facilities. Construction costs directly associated with the development of a correctional facility are capitalized as part of the cost of the development project. Such costs are written-off to expense whenever a project is abandoned. The cost and accumulated depreciation applicable to assets retired are removed from the accounts and the gain or loss on disposition is recognized in income. Depreciation is computed over the estimated useful lives of depreciable assets using the straight-line method. Useful lives for property and equipment are as follows:
Land improvements | 5 – 20 years
Buildings and improvements | 5 – 50 years
Equipment and software | 3 – 10 years
Office furniture and fixtures | 5 years
Accounting for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Other Than Goodwill Long-lived assets other than goodwill are reviewed for impairment when circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. When circumstances indicate an asset may not be recoverable, impairment is recognized when the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset or group of assets is less than their carrying value. If impairment exists, an adjustment is made to write the asset down to its fair value, and a loss is recorded as the difference between the carrying value and fair value. Fair values are determined based on quoted market values, comparable sales data, discounted cash flows or internal and external appraisals, as applicable. Goodwill Goodwill represents the cost in excess of the net assets of businesses acquired. As further discussed in Note 3, goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually using a fair-value based approach. Investment in Affiliates Investments in affiliates that are equal to or less than 50%-owned over which CoreCivic can exercise significant influence are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Investments under the equity method are recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted for contributions, distributions, and net income attributable to the Company's ownership based on the governing agreement. Debt Issuance Costs Debt issuance costs, excluding those costs incurred related to CoreCivic's revolving credit facility, are presented as a direct deduction from the face amount of the related liability in the consolidated balance sheets. Debt issuance costs related to the Company's revolving credit facility are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets. Generally, debt issuance costs are capitalized and amortized into interest expense using the interest method, or on a straight-line basis over the term of the related debt, if not materially different than the interest method. However, certain debt issuance costs incurred in connection with debt refinancings are charged to expense in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 470-50, "Modifications and Extinguishments". Revenue Recognition CoreCivic maintains contracts with certain governmental entities to manage their facilities for fixed per diem rates. CoreCivic also maintains contracts with various federal, state, and local governmental entities for the housing of offenders in company-owned facilities at fixed per diem rates or monthly fixed rates. These contracts usually contain expiration dates with renewal options ranging from annual to multi-year renewals. Most of these contracts have current terms that require renewal every two to five years. Additionally, most facility management contracts contain clauses that allow the government agency to terminate a contract without cause, and are generally subject to legislative appropriations. CoreCivic generally expects to renew these contracts for periods consistent with the remaining renewal options allowed by the contracts or other reasonable extensions; however, no assurance can be given that such renewals will be obtained. Fixed monthly rate revenue is recorded in the month earned and fixed per diem revenue, including revenue under those contracts that include guaranteed minimum populations, is recorded based on the per diem rate multiplied by the number of offenders housed or guaranteed during the respective period. CoreCivic recognizes any additional management service revenues upon completion of services provided to the customer. Certain of the government agencies also have the authority to audit and investigate CoreCivic's contracts with them. If the agency determines that CoreCivic has improperly allocated costs to a specific contract or otherwise was unable to perform certain contractual services, CoreCivic may not be reimbursed for those costs and could be required to refund the amount of any such costs that have been reimbursed. In these instances, the amounts required to be returned to the customer are reflected as operating expenses. Upon adoption of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers", as further described in "Recent Accounting Pronouncements" hereafter, these amounts will be classified as reductions to revenue. Rental revenue is recognized in accordance with ASC 840, "Leases". In accordance with ASC 840, minimum rental revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the related lease. Leasehold incentives are recognized as a reduction to rental revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the related lease. Rental revenue associated with expense reimbursements from tenants is recognized in the period that the related expenses are incurred based upon the tenant lease provision. In September 2014, CoreCivic agreed under an expansion of an existing inter-governmental service agreement ("IGSA") between the city of Eloy, Arizona and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") to provide residential space and services at the South Texas Family Residential Center. The IGSA was further amended in October 2016, as described in Note 11. The IGSA qualifies as a multiple-element arrangement under the guidance in ASC 605, "Revenue Recognition". CoreCivic evaluates each deliverable in an arrangement to determine whether it represents a separate unit of accounting. Other revenue consists primarily of ancillary revenues associated with operating correctional, detention and residential reentry facilities, such as commissary, phone, and vending sales, and are recorded in the period the goods and services are provided. Revenues generated from prisoner transportation services for governmental agencies are recorded in the period the inmates have been transported to their destination. Self-Funded Insurance Reserves CoreCivic is significantly self-insured for employee health, workers' compensation, automobile liability claims, and general liability claims. As such, CoreCivic's insurance expense is largely dependent on claims experience and CoreCivic's ability to control its claims experience. CoreCivic has consistently accrued the estimated liability for employee health insurance based on its history of claims experience and time lag between the incident date and the date the cost is paid by CoreCivic. CoreCivic has accrued the estimated liability for workers' compensation claims based on an actuarially determined liability, discounted to the net present value of the outstanding liabilities, using a combination of actuarial methods used to project ultimate losses, and the Company's automobile insurance claims based on estimated development factors on claims incurred. The liability for employee health, workers' compensation, and automobile insurance includes estimates for both claims incurred and for claims incurred but not reported. CoreCivic records litigation reserves related to general liability matters for which it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the range of such loss can be estimated. These estimates could change in the future. Income Taxes CoreCivic began operating in compliance with REIT requirements for federal income tax purposes effective January 1, 2013. As a REIT, the Company generally is not subject to corporate level federal income tax on taxable income it distributes to its stockholders as long as it meets the organizational and operational requirements under the REIT rules. However, certain subsidiaries have made an election with the Company to be treated as TRSs in conjunction with the Company's REIT election. The TRS elections permit CoreCivic to engage in certain business activities in which the REIT may not engage directly, so long as these activities are conducted in entities that elect to be treated as TRSs under the Internal Revenue Code. A TRS is subject to federal and state income taxes on the income from these activities and therefore, CoreCivic includes a provision for taxes in its consolidated financial statements. Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of ASC 740, "Income Taxes". ASC 740 generally requires CoreCivic to record deferred income taxes for the tax effect of differences between book and tax bases of its assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes reflect the available net operating losses and the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the statement of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. Realization of the future tax benefits related to deferred tax assets is dependent on many factors, including CoreCivic's past earnings history, expected future earnings, the character and jurisdiction of such earnings, unsettled circumstances that, if unfavorably resolved, would adversely affect utilization of its deferred tax assets, carryback and carryforward periods, and tax strategies that could potentially enhance the likelihood of realization of a deferred tax asset. CoreCivic's deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as non-current in the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 12 for further discussion of the significant components of CoreCivic's deferred tax assets and liabilities and the impact on deferred tax assets and liabilities that resulted from the lower corporate tax rates enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("the TCJA") in December 2017. Income tax contingencies are accounted for under the provisions of ASC 740. ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The guidance prescribed in ASC 740 establishes a recognition threshold of more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination. The measurement attribute requires that a tax position be measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Foreign Currency Transactions CoreCivic has extended a working capital loan to Agecroft Prison Management, Ltd. ("APM"), the operator of a correctional facility in Salford, England previously owned by a subsidiary of CoreCivic. The working capital loan is denominated in British pounds; consequently, CoreCivic adjusts these receivables to the current exchange rate at each balance sheet date and recognizes the unrealized currency gain or loss in current period earnings. See Note 7 for further discussion of CoreCivic's relationship with APM. Fair Value of Financial Instruments To meet the reporting requirements of ASC 825, "Financial Instruments", regarding fair value of financial instruments, CoreCivic calculates the estimated fair value of financial instruments using market interest rates, quoted market prices of similar instruments, or discounted cash flow techniques with observable Level 1 inputs for publicly traded debt and Level 2 inputs for all other financial instruments, as defined in ASC 820, "Fair Value Measurement". At December 31, 2017 and 2016, there were no material differences between the carrying amounts and the estimated fair values of CoreCivic's financial instruments, other than as follows (in thousands):
|  | December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
|  | Carrying Amount |  |  | Fair Value |  |  | Carrying Amount |  |  | Fair Value |
Note receivable from APM |  | $ | 3,059 |  |  | $ | 4,511 |  |  | $ | 2,920 |  |  | $ | 4,647 |
Debt |  | $ | (1,459,000 | ) |  | $ | (1,490,063 | ) |  | $ | (1,455,000 | ) |  | $ | (1,459,625 | )
Use of Estimates in Preparation of Financial Statements The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates and those differences could be material. Concentration of Credit Risks CoreCivic's credit risks relate primarily to cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. Cash and cash equivalents are primarily held in bank accounts and overnight investments. CoreCivic maintains deposits of cash in excess of federally insured limits with certain financial institutions. CoreCivic's accounts receivable represents amounts due primarily from governmental agencies. CoreCivic's financial instruments are subject to the possibility of loss in carrying value as a result of either the failure of other parties to perform according to their contractual obligations or changes in market prices that make the instruments less valuable. CoreCivic derives its revenues primarily from amounts earned under federal, state, and local government contracts. For each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, federal correctional and detention authorities represented 48%, 52%, and 51%, respectively, of CoreCivic's total revenue. Federal correctional and detention authorities consist primarily of the Federal Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"), the United States Marshals Service ("USMS"), and ICE. The BOP accounted for 7%, 9%, and 11% of total revenue for 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. The USMS accounted for 16%, 15%, and 16% of total revenue for 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. ICE accounted for 25%, 28%, and 24% of total revenue for 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively, with the decrease in 2017 resulting in part from the amended contract at the South Texas Family Residential Center, as further described in Note 11. These federal customers have management contracts at facilities CoreCivic owns and at facilities CoreCivic manages but does not own. State revenues from contracts at correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities that CoreCivic operates represented 41%, 38%, and 40% of total revenue during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. Approximately 6%, 6%, and 10% of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively, was generated from the State of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (the "CDCR") in facilities housing inmates outside the state of California. No other customer generated 10% or more of total revenue during 2017, 2016, or 2015. Although the revenue generated from each of these agencies is derived from numerous management contracts, the loss of one or more of such contracts could have a material adverse impact on CoreCivic's financial condition and results of operations. Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation Restricted Stock and Units CoreCivic accounts for restricted stock-based compensation under the recognition and measurement principles of ASC 718, "Compensation-Stock Compensation". CoreCivic amortizes the fair market value as of the grant date of restricted stock and unit awards over the vesting period using the straight-line method. The fair market value of performance-based restricted stock units is amortized over the vesting period as long as CoreCivic expects to meet the performance criteria. If achievement of the performance criteria becomes improbable, an adjustment is made to reverse the expense previously recognized. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers", which establishes a single, comprehensive revenue recognition standard for all contracts with customers. For public reporting entities such as CoreCivic, ASU 2014-09 was originally effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption of the ASU was not permitted. In July 2015, the FASB agreed to defer the effective date of the ASU for public reporting entities by one year, or to interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is now allowed as of the original effective date for public companies. In summary, the core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. Companies are allowed to select between two transition methods: (1) a full retrospective transition method with the application of the new guidance to each prior reporting period presented, or (2) a modified retrospective transition method that recognizes the cumulative effect on prior periods at the date of adoption together with additional footnote disclosures. CoreCivic will adopt the standard when effective in its fiscal year 2018 and will utilize the modified retrospective transition method upon adoption of the ASU. CoreCivic completed its analysis of the various contracts and revenue streams and does not currently expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position and its related financial statement disclosure. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases (ASC 842)", which requires lessees to put most leases on their balance sheets but recognize expenses on their income statements in a manner similar to current accounting requirements. ASU 2016-02 also eliminates current real estate-specific provisions for all entities. For lessors, the ASU modifies the classification criteria and the accounting for sales-type and direct financing leases. For public reporting entities such as CoreCivic, guidance in ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption of the ASU is permitted. Entities are required to use a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. CoreCivic is currently planning to adopt the ASU when effective in its fiscal year 2019. CoreCivic does not currently expect that the new standard will have a material impact on its financial statements, but expects that it will result in an increase in its long-term assets and liabilities for leases where the Company is the lessee. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting", that changes certain aspects of accounting for share-based payments to employees. ASU 2016-09 requires all income tax effects of awards to be recognized in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. The new ASU also allows an employer to repurchase more of an employee's shares for tax withholding purposes without triggering liability accounting, and to make a policy election to account for forfeitures. Companies are required to elect whether to account for forfeitures of share-based payments by (1) recognizing forfeitures of awards as they occur, or (2) estimating the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjusting the estimate when it is likely to change, as previously required. For public reporting entities such as CoreCivic, guidance in ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption of the ASU is permitted. All of the guidance in the ASU must be adopted in the same period. CoreCivic adopted the ASU in the first quarter of 2017, opting to estimate the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjusting the estimate when it is likely to change, as was previously required. The amendments in ASU 2016-09 were applied prospectively and the Company's financial statements for prior periods were not adjusted. Adoption of the ASU resulted in a $1.0 million income tax benefit recognized by the Company in the year ended December 31, 2017. The new standard will continue to have an impact on the Company's financial statements whenever the vested value of the awards differs from the grant-date fair value of such awards. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business", that provides guidance to assist entities with evaluating when a set of transferred assets and activities ("set") is a business. Under the new guidance, an entity first determines whether substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If this threshold is met, the set is not a business. If the threshold is not met, the entity then evaluates whether the set meets the requirement that a business include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The new ASU provides a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is a business. For public reporting entities such as CoreCivic, guidance in ASU 2017-01 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years, and is to be applied prospectively to any transactions occurring within the period of adoption. Early adoption of the ASU is allowed for transactions that occur before the issuance date or effective date of the ASU, only when the transaction has not been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance. CoreCivic early adopted ASU 2017-01 in the first quarter of 2017. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, "Intangibles–Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test of Goodwill Impairment", that eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill by performing a hypothetical application of the acquisition method as of the date of the impairment test to measure a goodwill impairment charge. This requirement is the second step in the annual two-step quantitative impairment test that is currently required under Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 350, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other". Instead, entities will recognize an impairment charge based on the first step of the quantitative impairment test currently required, which is the measurement of the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value. Entities will still have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. For public reporting entities such as CoreCivic, guidance in ASU 2017-04 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those years. Early adoption of the ASU is allowed for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates on or after January 1, 2017. CoreCivic is reviewing the ASU to determine the potential impact it might have on the methodology for evaluating goodwill for impairment subsequent to the adoption of the standard. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, "Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory", which requires companies to recognize the income tax effects of intercompany sales or transfers of assets, other than inventory, in the income statement as income tax expense when the sale or transfer occurs. The new guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. The guidance requires companies to apply a modified retrospective approach with a cumulative catch-up adjustment to opening retained earnings in the period of adoption. In the period of adoption, companies will write off any income tax effects that had been deferred from past intercompany transactions involving non-inventory assets to opening retained earnings. CoreCivic expects to adopt the new standard upon the effective date of January 1, 2018 and will write off approximately $2.6 million of prepaid taxes to accumulated deficit as a result of intercompany transactions between the REIT and one of its TRSs.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122369 + Details
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