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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
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 have been made to the consolidated balance sheet in 2018 and to the consolidated statements of cash flows in 2018 and 2017 to conform to the current year presentation. Cash and Cash Equivalents CoreCivic considers all liquid deposits and investments with a maturity of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Restricted Cash Restricted cash at December 31, 2019 and 2018 included deposit accounts totaling $22.3 million and $17.2 million, respectively, to ensure the timely completion of construction of the Lansing Correctional Facility and related debt service, as further discussed in Notes 6 and 11. Restricted cash at December 31, 2019 and 2018 also included $4.7 million and $4.1 million, respectively, to ensure the timely payment of certain operating expenses, capital expenditures and debt service associated with the SSA-Baltimore property, also as further discussed in Notes 6 and 11. The restricted cash accounts are required under the terms of the indebtedness securing such properties. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts At December 31, 2019 and 2018, accounts receivable of $280.8 million and $270.6 million, respectively, were net of allowances for doubtful accounts totaling $3.2 million and $2.5 million, respectively. Accounts receivable consist primarily of amounts due from federal, state, and local government agencies for the utilization of CoreCivic's properties. Accounts receivable also consist of amounts due for operating and managing the Company's correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities, as well as its electronic monitoring and case management services operations. 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 real estate properties. Construction costs directly associated with the development of a property 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
Other Real Estate Assets Other real estate assets are accounted for in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 853, "Service Concession Arrangements". ASC 853 stipulates that the facilities subject to the standard may not be accounted for as a lease, nor should the infrastructure used in the service concession arrangement be recognized as property and equipment by the operating entity. Instead, the contracts should be accounted for under the applicable revenue standards. The Company owns four facilities that are accounted for as service concession arrangements. The facilities accounted for under ASC 853 were constructed in periods prior to 2013. On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" and its subsequent corresponding update, ASC 606. For facilities which CoreCivic constructed for the public entity, two separate and distinct performance obligations exist. Service revenue is recognized as provided. All revenues and costs related to the construction of the facilities were recognized upon adoption of ASC 606. Revenue recognized related to the construction of the facilities for which cash has not yet been received is recorded as a contract asset and is amortized and evaluated for impairment on an on-going basis. For facilities contributed to a service contract, the cost of the facility is accounted for as costs to fulfill the service contract and the cost is recognized over the term of the service contract. The costs related to contract assets and costs to fulfill the service contracts are recoverable if the contract is terminated or not renewed due to the existence of residual interest options. Prior to the adoption of ASC 606, other real estate assets were stated at cost, net of accumulated amortization. These assets represent the cost of all infrastructure to be transferred to the public entity grantors should the grantors exercise their residual interest. The costs related to the facilities constructed for a governmental entity were deferred as an other real estate asset, and the deferred costs were amortized in proportion to revenue recognized over the term of the related services arrangement. The costs related to the facilities that were constructed before entering into the service concession arrangement were amortized in proportion to revenue recognized over the term of the related service contract as an investment in the service contract. 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 on the consolidated balance sheets. Debt issuance costs related to the Company's revolving credit facility are included in other assets on 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 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, or to pay liquidated damages. In these instances, the amounts required to be returned to the customer are classified as reductions to revenue. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2014-09 in the first quarter of 2018, these amounts were reflected as operating expenses. Rental revenue is recognized in accordance with ASC 842, "Leases". In accordance with ASC 842, 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. Other revenue consists primarily of ancillary revenues associated with operating correctional, detention and residential reentry facilities, such as commissary, phone, and vending sales, and is 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 and Litigation 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 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 of 1986, as amended. 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 on the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 13 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 this receivable to the current exchange rate at each balance sheet date and recognizes the unrealized currency gain or loss in current period earnings. See Note 8 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, 2019 and 2018, 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, |
|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |
|  | Carrying Amount |  |  | Fair Value |  |  | Carrying Amount |  |  | Fair Value |
Note receivable from APM |  | $ | 2,989 |  |  | $ | 3,949 |  |  | $ | 2,887 |  |  | $ | 4,037 |
Debt |  | $ | (1,986,865 | ) |  | $ | (1,964,366 | ) |  | $ | (1,814,795 | ) |  | $ | (1,744,045 | )
Use of Estimates in Preparation of Financial Statements The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles 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, restricted cash, and accounts receivable. Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash 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, 2019, 2018, and 2017, federal correctional and detention authorities represented 51%, 48%, and 48%, respectively, of CoreCivic's total revenue. Federal correctional and detention authorities consist primarily of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE"), the United States Marshals Service ("USMS"), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"). ICE accounted for 29%, 25%, and 25% of total revenue for 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. The USMS accounted for 17%, 17%, and 16% of total revenue for 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. The BOP accounted for 5%, 6%, and 7% of total revenue for 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. 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 34%, 39%, and 41% of total revenue during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. ICE and the USMS each generated 10% or more of total revenue during 2019, 2018, and 2017. Although the revenue generated from each of these agencies is derived from numerous management contracts and various types of properties, i.e. correctional, detention, reentry, and leased, 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 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 unit ("RSU") 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. To the extent performance-based RSUs are expected to increase or decrease based on revised estimates of performance, the related expense is adjusted accordingly. If achievement of the performance criteria becomes improbable, an adjustment is made to reverse the expense previously recognized. The Company estimates the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjusts the estimate when it is likely to change. Recent Accounting Pronouncements – Lease Adoption In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)", which requires lessees to put most leases on their balance sheets but recognize expenses on their income statements in a manner similar to previous accounting requirements. ASU 2016-02 also eliminated previous 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 finance leases and operating leases, a lessee should recognize on the balance sheet a liability to make lease payments and a right-of-use ("ROU") asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, with each initially measured at the present value of the lease payments. 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. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, "Targeted Improvements – Leases (Topic 842)", which permits entities to adopt a new transition method whereby the modified retrospective transition method would allow companies to recognize the cumulative-effect adjustment in the period of adoption rather than the earliest period presented and continue to apply the legacy guidance in ASC 840, "Leases", in the comparative periods presented. Further, ASU 2018-11 also allows entities to elect, by class of underlying asset, to not separate non-lease components from the associated lease components when certain criteria are met. Adoption results in an increase in long-term assets and liabilities for leases where the Company is the lessee. CoreCivic adopted ASU 2016-02 and ASU 2018-11, cumulatively ("ASC 842"), on January 1, 2019. The Company elected the modified retrospective transition method and recognized the cumulative-effect adjustment resulting from adoption of ASC 842 in the first quarter of 2019. CoreCivic also elected to adopt the package of available practical expedients that permits lessees and lessors to not reassess certain items, including whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, lease classification of any expired or existing leases, and initial direct costs for any expired or existing leases. In addition, the Company made an accounting policy election to apply the "short-term lease exception" permitted by ASC 842 for all classes of underlying assets. With the exception of the South Texas Family Residential Center lease, as further described in Note 5, the Company also elected the practical expedient that permits lessees to make an accounting policy election to account for each separate lease component of a contract and its associated non-lease components as a single lease component. Prior to the adoption of ASC 842, a portion of the rental payments for the South Texas Family Residential Center was classified as depreciation and interest expense in accordance with ASC 840-40-55, formerly Emerging Issues Task Force No. 97-10, "The Effect of Lessee Involvement in Asset Construction." Upon adoption of ASC 842, all rental payments associated with this lease are classified as operating expenses. Upon adoption of ASC 842, CoreCivic recognized a ROU asset of $115.6 million and a lease liability of $82.9 million for all operating leases identified by the Company as applicable under the guidance of ASC 842, including the lease for the South Texas Family Residential Center. For those operating leases that contain renewal options, the Company included the renewal period in the lease terms, and the related payments are reflected in the ROU asset and lease liability, when it is reasonably certain that a renewal option will be exercised. The ROU asset is included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets, while the current portion of the lease liability is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses, and the long-term portion of the liability is included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company also recognized a net charge of approximately $29.9 million to accumulated deficit upon adoption of ASC 842. Because CoreCivic does not generally have access to the interest rates implicit in its leases, the Company utilized its incremental borrowing rate, based upon the terms and tenure of each base lease, as the discount rate when calculating the present value of future minimum lease payments for each lease arrangement. The weighted average discount rate associated with the operating leases at adoption of ASC 842 was 5.3%. Recent Accounting Pronouncements – Other In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments – Credit Losses – Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments," which will change how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The ASU will replace the current "incurred loss" approach with an "expected loss" model for instruments measured at amortized cost. For trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, contract assets, loans and other instruments, entities will be required to use a new forward-looking "expected loss" model that generally will result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the effects of this ASU to determine the potential impact on its financial statements. Based principally on the fact that the largest portion of the Company's accounts receivable is with governmental agencies, the Company does not currently expect the new standard will have a material impact on its financial statements. Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB (including its Emerging Issues Task Force), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") did not, or are not expected to, have a material effect on the Company's results of operations or financial position.

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