1984 to Present
Historic Milestones
2007 – Secure Transport
GEO establishes in-house transportation division, GEO Transport, Inc. to help meet our customers’ increasing need for secure transportation services for offender and detainee populations
2007 – One Billion - Served
GEO completed a definitive merger agreement to acquire CPT. This merger resulted in ownership of 13 correctional facilities totaling over 8,000 beds. With this milestone, GEO reached revenues in excess of a billion dollars.
2005 – 1st Private Forensic Treatment Facility in US
GEO Care, Inc was awarded the first privately managed contract in the United States for the operation and management of a forensic psychiatric facility. GEO Care took over operations of the South Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center July 2005.
2005 – Privatizing Indiana
GEO was awarded the contract for the first privatized state prison in Indiana. The operation and management of the 2,416-bed New Castle Facility was awarded to GEO in January 2005.
2005 – Market Share Growth
The completion of GEO’s CSC acquisition was finalized in November 2005. Post-closing, GEO assumed management and operational contracts that brought GEO to 58 facilities and increased total design capacity to 48,000 beds. Market share increased from 22% to 28%.
2005 – A Road Paved for Growth
GEO signs definitive merger agreement to acquire Sarasota-based Correctional Services Corporation (CSC). This merger added 15 adult correctional facilities and others under development with a design capacity of approximately 8,000 beds in North America.
2004 – GEO Re-established in UK
GEO establishes subsidiary, The GEO Group UK Ltd, in order to pursue new business opportunities in England, Scotland and Wales – the second largest private correctional market in the world.
2003 – International Standards
GEO’s Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre in South Africa became the first prison on the continent to obtain the International Standard Organization 9001:200 certification for the South African Bureau of Standards.
2003 – Florida Top Public Company
GEO is named a Florida Trend Magazine’s Top 250 Public Company. A position still proudly held today.
2003 – WCC to GEO
Officially changes name to The GEO Group, Inc. (GEO)
2003 – Independence Day
Completes repurchase agreement for all 12 million shares of WCC common stock from G4S. This historic transaction transformed WCC from a corporate subsidy into a fully independent company with access to the capital markets.
2003 – Sale of PCGL
Completes sale of interest in Premier Custodial Group (PCGL) as a means to facilitate the opportunity to pursue further independent growth in the UK.
2002 – Acquisition
Group 4 Falck (now G4S) merges with The Wackenhut Corporation (WTC) and becomes the indirect owner of WCC common stock.
1999 – South Africa Goes Private
South African Custodial Services (SACS) awarded the first privatized correctional centre in South Africa. A 25 year contract for the design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre in South Africa began July 1999.
1999 – GEO Enters South Africa
Establishes, via joint venture, South African Custodial Management (SACM) an operating arm of South African Custodial Services (SACS) in order to remedy overcrowding conditions for the government corrections system.
1999 – GEO Group New Zealand
Establishes subsidiary GEO Group New Zealand following a contract award for the operation of the Auckland Central Remand Prison. This contract represented New Zealand’s first private prison project. (Upon contract completion in 2005, New Zealand returned its prison operations to the public sector. The GEO Group New Zealand closed in 2007.)
1998 – Correctional Properties Trust
Co-created Correctional Properties Trust (now known as CentraCore Properties Trust), a real estate investment trust. Formed to support the growing trend towards utilizing privately sourced capital in the privatized corrections industry.
1998 – 1st Private State Psychiatric hospital in US
Receives award to operation the first comprehensive privatized state psychiatric hospital in the US. GEO Care took over the operation and management of the 335- bed South Florida State Hospital November 1998.
1998 – GEO Design Services, Inc.
Wholly-owned subsidiary GEO Design Services Inc (GDSI) is formed. GEO is the only company in our industry to have an in-house design team.
1997 – GEO Care, Inc
Purchase of Atlantic Shores Hospital, GEO Care’s first operating contract for psychiatric health care.
1997 – Bureau of Prison Goes Private
Receives award for the first privately operated facility by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The 2,048-bed Taft Correctional Institution opened in December 1997.
1997 – Residential Treatment Services
GEO Care, Inc.; formally known as Atlantic Shores Healthcare, Inc., is created. This wholly-owned subsidiary was formed to provide premier behavioral and mental health care services to state and local government agencies.
1996 – First Private Prison Project in Scotland
Through a cooperative enterprise, Premier Custodial Group, Ltd. (PCGL), WCC was awarded Scotland’s first private prison project to design, construct, finance, and manage the 524-bed Lowdham Grange Prison.
1996 – 2 for 1 Stock Split
In June, WCC completed a two-for-one stock split creating 22 million outstanding shares.
1996 – NYSE
Through a secondary public offering, WCC enlisted on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol WHC. Now trading under ticker symbol GEO.
1994 – Initial Public Offering
In July, WCC made an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of shares of 2.2 million shares on the NASDAQ®.
1993 – Breakthrough Rehabilitation
Opens the world’s largest in-prison therapeutic community chemical dependency treatment programs at the Kyle Correctional Center. The program provided intensive chemical dependency treatment.
1993 –Australian Milestone
Wholly-owned subsidiary, ACM, was awarded its first contract, the Junee Correctional Center, to design, build, and operate for the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services. This contract was the first privately run jail in New South Wales.
1992 – United Kingdom
GEO entered the correctional services arena in the United Kingdom through a joint venture to form, Premier Custodial Group Ltd The cooperative enterprise provided clients with prisoner transportation, court custody, home detention services, and correctional and immigration detention services. (The joint venture was discontinued, by mutual agreement in 2003).
1992 – Designing a Niche
An internal design services division was created to order to ensure the integrity and efficiency of the company’s facility design.
1992 – International Presence
Enters the international market through the development of wholly-owned subsidiary, Australasian Correctional Management PTY Ltd. (ACM)
1988 – Solid Growth
WCC was incorporated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TWC.
1987 – First Contract Award
Awarded 1st contract, the Aurora ICE Processing Center, providing secure care, custody, and control of 150 illegal detainees for the Bureau of Immigration and Custody Enforcement.
1984 – Inception
Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (WCC) was formed as a division of The Wackenhut Corporation (TWC) in 1984. George C. Zoley was instrumental to the development and marketing of detention and correctional services to government agencies.