| Commitments, Contingencies and Other Matters | 11. COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER MATTERS Litigation, Claims and Assessments On July 7, 2020, a purported shareholder class action lawsuit was filed against the Company, its then Chief Executive Officer, George C. Zoley (“Mr. Zoley”), and its Chief Financial Officer, Brian R. Evans (“Mr. Evans”), in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. On October 1, 2020, the court entered an unopposed order appointing lead plaintiffs, approving the selection of counsel, dismissing the initial complaint, and setting a deadline for the filing of an amended complaint. On November 18, 2020, the lead plaintiffs filed a consolidated class action amended complaint. The amended complaint alleged that the Company and Messrs. Zoley and Evans––as well as J. David Donahue (“Mr. Donahue”), the Company’s former Senior Vice President and President of the U.S. Secure Services division, and Ann M. Schlarb (“Ms. Schlarb”), the Company’s Senior Vice President and President of the GEO Care division––made materially false and misleading statements and/or omissions related to GEO’s business––including quality of operations, corporate social responsibility, competitive strengths, pending litigation, business strategies, health and safety, sources of financing, dividend expectations, and COVID-19 procedures. The amended complaint was brought by lead plaintiffs James Michael DeLoach and Edward Oketola, individually and on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities––other than the defendants, the officers and directors of the Company, members of their immediate families and their legal representatives, heirs, successors or assigns and any entity in which the defendants have or had a controlling interest––who purchased or otherwise acquired the Company’s securities during the alleged class period from November 7, 2018 to August 5, 2020, inclusive. The amended complaint alleged that the defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and alleged that Messrs. Zoley, Evans, and Donahue and Ms. Schlarb violated Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. On December 18, 2020, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On September 23, 2021, the court granted the motion to dismiss in part, and denied it in part. The court dismissed all claims against Messrs. Evans and Donahue, and Ms. Schlarb. The court also dismissed all claims against GEO and Mr. Zoley other than claims related to GEO's disclosures about pending litigation and directed plaintiffs to file an amended complaint in conformance with the court's order. On October 4, 2021, plaintiffs filed a consolidated class action second amended complaint. The second amended complaint alleges that GEO and Mr. Zoley violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act by making materially false and misleading statements and/or omissions related to pending litigation, and seeks relief on behalf of a putative class consisting of all persons and entities––other than the defendants, the officers and directors of the Company, members of their immediate families and their legal representatives, heirs, successors or assigns and any entity in which the defendants have or had a controlling interest––who purchased or otherwise acquired the Company’s securities during the alleged class period from November 9, 2018 to August 5, 2020, inclusive. The second amended complaint seeks damages, interest, attorneys’ fees, expert fees, other costs, and such other relief as the court may deem proper. On October 18, 2021, GEO and Mr. Zoley filed a motion to dismiss and/or to strike, arguing that the second amended complaint failed to comply with the court's prior dismissal order and contains allegations beyond the disclosures and time period permitted by the court. On June 21, 2022, the court granted the motion in part, and dismissed all claims in the second amended complaint other than those related to the Company’s statements about pending lawsuits made prior to July 17, 2019. On July 1, 2022, the Company and Mr. Zoley filed answers to the second amended complaint. On July 1, 2021, a putative shareholder derivative complaint was filed in Palm Beach County, Florida’s Circuit Court against the Company, as well as its then Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Zoley, its Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Evans, Ms. Schlarb, its Senior Vice President and President of the GEO Care division, and current and former Company directors Richard H. Glanton, Anne N. Foreman, Christopher C. Wheeler, Julie M. Wood, Guido van Hauwermeiren, Scott M. Kernan, Jose Gordo, and Duane Helkowski (collectively, “Defendants”). The complaint alleges breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment claims against the individual Defendants relating to purported healthcare and quality of care deficiencies, an allegedly inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, alleged forced labor by detainees, and alleged exposure to pending litigation, which purportedly led to damage to GEO. On September 28, 2021, Defendants filed a motion to stay, or alternatively motion to dismiss the complaint. On January 7, 2022, the Court entered an Agreed Order on Stay, staying this action until the resolution of the motion to dismiss and/or to strike pending in the federal purported shareholder class action lawsuit described above. On November 12, 2021, a putative shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against the Company, as well as its then Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Zoley, its Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Evans, Ms. Schlarb, its Senior Vice President and President of the GEO Care division, David Venturella, its Senior Vice President, J. David Donahue, its former Senior Vice President and President, of the U.S. Secure Services division, and current and former Company directors Richard H. Glanton, Anne N. Foreman, Christopher C. Wheeler, Julie M. Wood, Guido van Hauwermeiren, Scott M. Kernan, Jose Gordo, and Duane Helkowski (collectively, “Defendants”). The complaint alleges that the individual Defendants violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The complaint also alleges breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and waste of corporate assets against the individual Defendants relating to purported healthcare and quality of care deficiencies, an allegedly inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, alleged forced labor by detainees, and alleged exposure to pending litigation, which purportedly led to damage to GEO. On January 14, 2022, the parties filed a joint motion to stay the action. On January 18, 2022, the court entered an Order Granting Joint Motion to Stay and Administratively Closing Case, staying this action pending the resolution of the federal purported shareholder class action lawsuit described above. Former civil immigration detainees at the Aurora ICE Processing Center filed a class action lawsuit on October 22, 2014, against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The complaint alleges that the Company was in violation of the Colorado Minimum Wages of Workers Act and the Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act (“TVPA”). The plaintiff class claims that the Company was unjustly enriched because of the level of payment the detainees received for work performed at the facility, even though the voluntary work program as well as the wage rates and standards associated with the program that are at issue in the case are authorized by the Federal government under guidelines approved by the United States Congress. On July 6, 2015, the court found that detainees were not employees under the Colorado Minimum Wage Order and dismissed this claim. In February 2017, the court granted the plaintiff-class’ motion for class certification on the TVPA and unjust enrichment claims. The plaintiff class seeks actual damages, compensatory damages, exemplary damages, punitive damages, restitution, attorneys’ fees and costs, and such other relief as the court may deem proper. In the time since the Colorado suit was initially filed, four similar lawsuits have been filed - two in Washington and two in California. The first of the two Washington lawsuits was filed on September 9, 2017 by immigration detainees against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The second lawsuit was filed on September 20, 2017 by the State Attorney General against the Company in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for Pierce County, which the Company removed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on October 9, 2017. The plaintiffs claimed that Washington State minimum wage laws should be enforced with respect to detainees who volunteer to participate in a Voluntary Work Program administered by GEO at the Center as required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the terms of GEO’s contract. The Center houses persons in the custody of federal immigration authorities while their immigration status is being determined by the federal government. In California, a class-action lawsuit was filed on December 19, 2017 by immigration detainees against the Company in the U.S. District Court Eastern Division of the Central District of California. All three lawsuits allege violations of the respective state’s minimum wage laws. However, the California lawsuit, like the Colorado suit, also includes claims that the Company violated the TVPA and California's equivalent state statute. The California court certified a nationwide class which would allow the plaintiffs to primarily seek injunctive relief or policy changes at a number of facilities if they are successful on the merits of their claims. On August 9, 2021, the California court conducted a hearing on defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment and Motion to Decertify Class, as well as plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. The Motion to Decertify Class was granted. The plaintiffs’ and defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment are pending. On March 31, 2022, Judge Bernal entered a stay of the California case until the Ninth Circuit rules on the Washington cases. On July 2, 2019, the Company filed a Motion for Summary Judgment in the Washington Attorney General’s Tacoma lawsuit based on the Company’s position that its legal defenses prevent the case from proceeding to trial. The federal court in Washington denied the Company's Motion for Summary Judgment on August 6, 2019. However, on August 20, 2019, the DOJ filed a Statement of Interest, which asked the Washington court to revisit its prior denial of the Company's intergovernmental immunity defense in the case. While the Washington court ultimately elected not to dismiss the case at the time, its order declared that the Company's intergovernmental immunity defense was legally viable, to be ultimately determined at trial. After putting the lawsuits on “standby” for most of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial court entered an order setting both suits for an estimated three-week trial beginning June 1, 2021. The court ordered a remote trial, but with the possibility of in-person proceedings. The order noted the Company’s exception to the remote trial setting. The Company filed a motion for reconsideration of the judge’s order setting a remote trial on April 8, 2021, requesting that the trial date be moved from June 1, 2021 to the earliest possible date after July 1, 2021, when the State of Washington plans to allow in-person trials to resume. On April 9, 2021, the Washington court denied the motion for reconsideration for an in-person trial, ruling that a “hybrid” trial, with some parts being conducted in-person with COVID-19 precautions, would begin on June 1, 2021. On June 1, 2021, the remote Zoom trial began. On June 17, 2021, the trial judge declared a mistrial when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The in-person jury re-trial began on October 12, 2021. In October 2021, an unfavorable jury verdict resulting in a combined $ 23.2 million judgment was entered against the Company in the retrial of two cases, State of Washington v. GEO Group and Nwauzor et. al. v. GEO Group (the “lawsuits”), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, which judgment amounts were subsequently increased by a further award against the Company of attorney’s fees, costs and interest in the amount of $ 12.7 million. The trial court has waived the necessity to post a supersedeas bond for the combined judgments and has stayed enforcement of the verdict and judgments while GEO’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is pending. GEO strongly disagrees with the verdict and judgments in the retrial of the lawsuits. GEO has raised several issues on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, including the applicability of the state of Washington’s Minimum Wage Act to detainees who participate in the federally mandated Voluntary Work Program at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (the “Center”), and the affirmative defenses that GEO believes were wrongly dismissed in these cases. GEO looks forward to having those and other related issues heard on appeal based on GEO’s belief that the cases were wrongly decided. GEO intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself. The Company has not established an accrual for this judgment as it believes a potential loss related to this case is not probable. Current and former detainees of the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center and the Golden State Annex ICE Processing Center filed a class action lawsuit on July 13, 2022, against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Fresno Division. This lawsuit is similar to the cases in Colorado, Washington and California discussed above. The complaint alleges that federal detainees who volunteer to participate in the Voluntary Work Program ("VWP") at GEO’s Mesa Verde and Golden State Annex ICE facilities are employees of GEO and entitled to the state’s minimum wage. Plaintiffs also make claims for unjust enrichment, human trafficking and forced labor. GEO believes it operates the VWP in full compliance with its contract with ICE and all applicable laws, regulations, and standards. GEO strongly disagrees with the allegations of the complaint and intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend itself. On December 30, 2019, the Company filed a lawsuit for declaratory and injunctive relief challenging California’s newly enacted law - Assembly Bill 32 ("AB-32") - which bars the federal government from engaging the Company or any other government contractors to provide detention services for illegal immigrants. The Company’s claims, as described in the lawsuit, are grounded in authoritative legal doctrine that under the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, the federal government is free from regulation by any state. By prohibiting federal detention facilities in California, the suit argues AB-32 substantially interferes with the ability of USMS and ICE to carry out detention responsibilities for the federal government. Secondly, because AB-32 creates exceptions to the State of California when using the Company or any government contractors (to alleviate overcrowding), California’s statute unlawfully discriminates against the federal government. On December 31, 2019, GEO filed its motion for a preliminary injunction restraining California’s Governor and Attorney General from enforcing AB-32 against the Company’s detention facilities on behalf of USMS and ICE. On January 24, 2020, the United States filed a lawsuit challenging AB-32. The court heard motions for preliminary injunction from the Company and the United States on July 16, 2020. The court ordered the parties to submit supplemental briefing and indicated it would render an opinion sometime after the filing deadline of August 18, 2020. On July 20, 2020, the court consolidated both lawsuits. On October 8, 2020, the court issued an order granting, in part, and denying in part, the Company and the United States’ motions and California’s motion to dismiss. Among other findings, the court (1) dismissed the Company’s intergovernmental immunity claims as well as the United States’ preemption claims as applied to ICE facilities; (2) found that the Company and the United States were likely to succeed on the preemption claims as applied to U.S. Marshals’ facilities and enjoined enforcing AB-32 against those facilities; and (3) refused to enjoin California from enforcing AB-32 against ICE contracts with the Company and the United States. The Company and the United States appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral argument was held on June 7, 2021. On October 5, 2021, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision, holding that AB-32 conflicted with federal law and could not stand. On April 26, 2022, the Ninth Circuit granted California’s petition for an en banc hearing and vacated the previous panel’s opinion. En banc arguments took place the week of June 21, 2022, in Pasadena, California. On April 29, 2021, the Company filed a lawsuit for declaratory and injunctive relief challenging the State of Washington’s newly enacted law – House Bill 1090 ("EHB 1090") – that purports to prohibit the United States from using detention facilities operated by private contractors to house detainees in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”). The court has entered a stay in this action pending the final resolution of the AB-32 appeal. The Company establishes accruals for specific legal proceedings when it is considered probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. However, the results of these claims or proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these claims or proceedings could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows or could result in a material impairment of the Company’s assets. The Company's accruals for loss contingencies are reviewed quarterly and adjusted as additional information becomes available. The Company does not accrue for anticipated legal fees and costs but expenses those items as incurred. The nature of the Company's business also exposes it to various other third-party legal claims or litigation against the Company, including, but not limited to, civil rights claims relating to conditions of confinement and/or mistreatment, sexual misconduct claims brought by individuals in its care, medical malpractice claims, product liability claims, intellectual property infringement claims, claims relating to employment matters (including, but not limited to, employment discrimination claims, union grievances and wage and hour claims), property loss claims, environmental claims, automobile liability claims, indemnification claims by its customers and other third parties, contractual claims and claims for personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with the Company's facilities, programs, electronic monitoring products, personnel or detainees, including damages arising from the escape of an individual in its care or from a disturbance or riot at a facility. Other Assessment A state non-income tax audit completed in 2016 included tax periods for which the state tax authority had previously processed a substantial tax refund. At the completion of the audit fieldwork, the Company received a notice of audit findings disallowing deductions that were previously claimed by the Company, approved by the state tax authority and served as the basis for the approved refund claim. In early January 2017, the Company received a formal Notice of Assessment of Taxes and Demand for Payment from the taxing authority disallowing the deductions. The total tax, penalty and interest related to the assessment is approximately $ 19.6 million. The Company is appealing an administrative ruling and disagrees with the assessment and intends to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend its position. The Company has established a reserve based on its estimate of the most probable loss based on the facts and circumstances known to date and the advice of outside counsel in connection with this matter. CARES Act On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act, among other things, allowed employers to defer the deposit and payment of the employer's share of Social Security taxes. The deferral applied to deposits and payments of the employer’s share of Social Security tax that would otherwise be required to be made during the period beginning on March 27, 2020 and ending on December 31, 2021. The deferred amounts are due to be paid in two equal installments no later than December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022. The Company paid the first installment in September 2021. The balance of the deferred payroll taxes is approximately $ 20.0 million as of June 30, 2022. Commitments The Company currently has contractual commitments for a number of projects using Company financing. The Company’s management estimates that the cost of these existing active capital projects will be approximately $ 30.3 million of which $ 9.5 million was spent through the first six months of 2022. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects will be $ 20.8 million which will be spent through the remainder of 2022. Idle Facilities As of June 30, 2022, the Company was marketing nine of its idle facilities to potential customers. The carrying values of these idle facilities are included in Property and Equipment, Net and Assets for Sale in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The following table summarizes each of the idled facilities and their respective carrying values, excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities. There was no indication of impairment related to the Company's idle facilities as of June 30, 2022.
Design Net Carrying Value
Facility Segment Capacity Year Idled June 30, 2022
Great Plains Correctional Facility Secure Services 1,940 2021 $ 70,684
D. Ray James Correctional Facility Secure Services 1,900 2021 51,756
Rivers Correctional Facility Secure Services 1,450 2021 38,767
Big Spring Correctional Facility Secure Services 1,732 2021 34,385
Flightline Correctional Facility Secure Services 1,800 2021 36,072
McFarland Female Community Reentry Facility Secure Services 300 2020 11,176
Cheyenne Mountain Recovery Center Secure Services 750 2020 16,858
Coleman Hall Reentry Services 350 2017 7,943
Hector Garza Center Reentry Services 139 2020 4,972
Total 10,361 $ 272,613 |
