CoreCivic Inc

We believe we own, or control via a long-term lease, approximately 55% of all privately owned prison beds in the United States, manage approximately 39% of all privately managed prison beds in the United States, and are currently the second largest private owner and provider of community corrections services in the nation. Under the direction of our partnership development department, we market our facilities and services to government agencies responsible for federal, state, and local correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities in the United States. With 66,488 beds in our Safety and Community segments and occupancy of 75% in 2024, including idle correctional and residential reentry facilities during the period they were idle, we have the capacity to grow earnings and cash flows without the need to deploy significant capital. At December 31, 2024, we also had two idle facilities consisting of 4,960 beds in our Properties segment that could generate additional earnings and cash flow if we are able to enter into an agreement to utilize the facilities. Under the direction of our innovation department, we also intend to continue to pursue new development opportunities in our Properties segment, to meet the need to modernize outdated correctional infrastructure across the country, and explore potential opportunities to expand the scope of non-residential correctional alternatives we provide in our Community segment. We will also respond to customer demand and may develop or expand correctional and detention facilities when we believe potential long-term returns justify the capital deployment.

We execute cross-departmental efforts to market CoreCivic Safety solutions to government partners that seek corrections and detention management services, CoreCivic Community solutions to government partners seeking residential reentry services, and CoreCivic Properties solutions to customers that need correctional real estate and maintenance services. Our flexible business model enables our customers to utilize our real estate assets to suit their needs, which can result in facilities moving among our Safety, Community, and Properties segments.

Business from our federal customers, including primarily ICE, the USMS, and the BOP, constituted 51%, 52%, and 54% of our total revenue during 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively. Business from our federal customers continues to be a significant component of our business, although the source of revenue is derived from many contracts at various types of properties (i.e., correctional, detention, and reentry). ICE (29%, 30%, and 29% during 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively) and the USMS (21%, 21%, and 22% during 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively) each accounted for 10% or more of our total revenue during the last three years.

Certain of our contracts with federal partners contain clauses that guarantee the federal partner access to a minimum bed capacity in exchange for a fixed monthly payment. However, these contracts also generally provide the government the ability to cancel the contract for non-appropriation of funds or for convenience. The solutions we provide to our federal customers continue to be a significant component of our business. We believe our ability to provide flexible solutions and fulfill emergent needs of our federal customers would be very difficult and costly to replicate in the public sector.

On January 26, 2021, then-President Biden issued an Executive Order on Reforming Our Incarceration System to Eliminate the Use of Privately Operated Criminal Detention Facilities, or the Private Prison EO. The Private Prison EO directed the Attorney General to not renew DOJ contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. Two agencies of the DOJ, the BOP and the USMS, utilize our services. The BOP houses inmates who have been convicted, and the USMS is generally responsible for detainees who are awaiting trial. The Private Prison EO only applied to agencies that are part of the DOJ, which includes the BOP and USMS. We no longer operate any prison contracts for the BOP. ICE facilities were not covered by the Private Prison EO, as ICE is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, not the DOJ. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, the USMS accounted for 21% ($406.4 million), 21% ($400.4 million), and 22% ($403.9 million), respectively, of our total revenue.

Unlike the BOP, the USMS does not own detention capacity and relies on the private sector, along with various government agencies, for its detainee population. We currently have two detention facilities that have direct contracts with the USMS. Because of the lack of alternative bed capacity, one of the contracts was renewed upon its expiration in September 2023, and now expires in September 2028. The second direct contract expires in October 2025. On January 20, 2025, President Trump reversed the Private Prison EO. However, it is possible future administrations could issue similar executive orders restricting the use of private correctional and detention facilities by the federal government.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic. As a result, in the first quarter of 2020, the federal government decided to deny entry at the United States southern border to asylum-seekers and anyone crossing the southern border without proper documentation or authority in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, a policy known as Title 42. This policy resulted in a reduction to the number of people ICE detained, including in our detention facilities. The financial impact was somewhat mitigated by fixed monthly payments from ICE at certain of our facilities, to ensure ICE has adequate bed capacity in the event of a surge in the future. Based on COVID-19 trends, the DHS allowed Title 42 to expire on May 11, 2023, which has resulted in an increase in the number of undocumented people permitted to enter the United States claiming asylum, and has resulted in an increase in the number of people apprehended and detained by ICE. During 2023, revenue from ICE was $565.5 million compared to $579.5 million during 2019, prior to the implementation of Title 42. During the year ended December 31, 2024, revenue from ICE was $564.8 million. Our revenue from ICE was negatively impacted during 2024 by the termination of an inter-governmental service agreement, or IGSA, for the 2,400-bed South Texas Family Residential Center, or STFRC, effective August 9, 2024, a facility we leased from a third-party.

On June 10, 2024, we received notice from ICE of its intent to terminate the IGSA for services at the STFRC, effective August 9, 2024. As a result, we provided notice to the third-party lessor of the facility of our intent to terminate the lease effective as of the same date, with no financial penalties as permitted by the lease agreement. Total revenue generated at the STFRC was $101.2 million and $156.6 million during 2024 and 2023, respectively. Facility net operating income at this facility was $51.5 million and $65.6 million during 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in facility net operating income from 2023 to 2024 at the STFRC, which resulted from the termination, was partially offset by the accelerated recognition of deferred revenue, as well as the accelerated decline in detainee populations in early July 2024, resulting in the elimination of most operating expenses though we continued to generate fixed contractual revenue through the termination date. Even excluding these unique factors positively affecting 2024, the operating margin at STFRC exceeded the average operating margin of our portfolio due to the size and scalability of expenses, and due to the unique design and specialized services provided at the facility. Accordingly, the termination of the contract at this facility had, and will continue to have, a negative impact on operating margins following the termination date. During 2024 and 2023, operating margins in the CoreCivic Safety segment were 23.9% and 21.7%, respectively, while operating margins excluding the STFRC were 22.3% and 19.6%, respectively.

We are partnering with the third-party owner of STFRC to market the facility to DHS. However, we can provide no assurance that we will enter into an agreement with ICE to reopen the facility, or that if we enter into another agreement with ICE to utilize the STFRC, that we would generate revenues or facility net operating income similar to amounts we previously generated at this facility.

Federal revenues from contracts at correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities that we operate increased 0.7% from $995.2 million during 2023 to $1,002.2 million during 2024. The increase in federal revenue was primarily a result of increased occupancy and per diem increases at certain facilities and as a result of one additional day of operations due to a leap year in 2024, partially offset by the termination of an IGSA with respect to the STFRC. As previously described herein, Title 42, which was implemented in the first quarter of 2020, resulted in a reduction to the number of people ICE detained, including in our detention facilities. The financial impact of Title 42 was somewhat mitigated by fixed monthly payments from ICE at certain of our facilities, to ensure ICE has adequate bed capacity in the event of a surge in the future. The expiration of Title 42 on May 11, 2023 resulted in an increase in the number of undocumented people permitted to enter the United States claiming asylum, and has also resulted in an increase in the number of people apprehended and detained by ICE. During the year ended December 31, 2024, revenue from ICE was $564.8 million compared to $565.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. Given the termination of the IGSA with ICE with respect to the STFRC, total management revenues were, and are expected to continue to be, negatively impacted following the August 9, 2024 termination date, when compared to prior periods, as further described in "Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations", or MD&A.

We currently expect demand from the federal government for our correctional and detention facilities to increase under the new presidential administration, particularly from ICE, as a result of anticipated changes in immigration policy and funding levels of our federal government partners charged with correctional and detention responsibilities. This anticipated increase in demand could result in higher utilization of our available capacity under existing contracts, as well as through new contracts utilizing our idle correctional and detention facilities or our other existing capacity. However, we can provide no assurance that the federal government will increase the utilization of our available capacity. Further, the activation of our idle correctional and detention facilities generally requires four to six months to hire, train, and prepare our facilities to accept residential populations, which could result in substantial expenses before we are able to realize additional revenue.

State revenues from contracts at correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities that we operate constituted 40%, 39%, and 36% of our total revenue during 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively, and increased 5.0% from $738.6 million during 2023 to $775.4 million during 2024. The state of Tennessee is our largest state customer, accounting for 10% of our total revenue during 2024, with no other state customer generating 10% or more of our total revenue. State revenues increased as a result of per diem increases under a number of our state contracts, as certain states have recognized the need to provide additional funding to address increases in the wages of our employees. State revenues also increased due to higher utilization from the states of Montana and Wyoming due to new management contracts executed during 2023 and 2024, as well as higher utilization from other states under existing management contracts. State revenues generated during the year ended December 31, 2024 also benefited from one additional day of operations due to 2024 being a leap year. The increase in state revenues in 2024 was partially offset by a decrease in state revenues at our Allen Gamble Correctional Center that resulted from a new lease agreement effective October 1, 2023, and is now reported in our Properties segment.

We believe the long-term growth opportunities of our business remain attractive as government agencies consider their emergent needs, as well as the efficiency and offender programming opportunities we provide as flexible solutions to satisfy our partners' needs. We have been in discussions with ICE to utilize additional bed capacity in our portfolio at facilities with existing contracts, and have responded to their requests for information and requests for proposals, or RFPs, for activation of certain of our idle facilities. We have also been in discussions with several state and county government agencies that have experienced challenges in staffing their public-sector facilities and are seeking solutions from the private sector. Further, several of our existing government partners, as well as prospective government partners, have been experiencing growth in offender populations and overcrowded conditions. Governments are continuing to assess their need for correctional space, and several are continuing to consider alternative correctional capacity for their aged or inefficient infrastructure, or are seeking cost savings by utilizing the private sector, which could result in increased future demand for the solutions we provide. For example, on September 25, 2023, we announced that we signed a management contract with Hinds County, Mississippi to care for up to 250 adult male pre-trial detainees at our 2,672-bed Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, Mississippi. The initial contract term is for two years, which may be extended for an additional year upon mutual agreement. In addition, on November 16, 2023, we announced that we signed a management contract with the state of Wyoming to care for up to 240 male inmates at the Tallahatchie facility. The term of the contract runs through June 30, 2026. Also on November 16, 2023, we announced that we signed a contract with Harris County, Texas, to care for up to 360 male inmates at the Tallahatchie facility. Upon mutual agreement, Harris County may access an additional 360 beds at the facility. The initial contract term began on December 1, 2023, and was recently renewed for an additional one-year term, which commenced December 1, 2024. Following the recent renewal, the contract may be extended at Harris County's option for up to three additional one-year terms. In addition to the recent contracts with Hinds County, the state of Wyoming, and Harris County, we currently care for residents from the USMS, the state of Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Tallahatchie County at the Tallahatchie facility, which demonstrates the flexible solutions that we provide. On November 14, 2023, we announced that we signed a management contract with the state of Montana to care for up to 120 inmates at our 1,896-bed Saguaro Correctional Facility in Eloy, Arizona. The contract is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2025, and may be extended by mutual agreement for a total term of up to seven years. In addition, on August 1, 2024, we entered into a second management contract with the state of Montana to care for an unspecified number of inmates at facilities we operate. The second contract is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2026, and may be extended by mutual agreement for a total term of up to seven years. As of December 31, 2024, we cared for approximately 245 inmates from the state of Montana at our Saguaro facility. We also care for residents from the state of Hawaii and the state of Idaho at the Saguaro facility. On January 16, 2025, we announced that we were awarded a new management contract with the state of Montana to care for additional inmates outside the state of Montana, with 240 inmates expected to arrive at our Tallahatchie facility during the first quarter of 2025. We also manage the fully occupied company-owned Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby, Montana for the state of Montana pursuant to a separate management contract.

Further, in December 2021, the state of Arizona awarded us a contract for up to 2,706 inmates at our 3,060-bed La Palma Correctional Center in Arizona, which commenced in April 2022. We are not aware of a larger prison contract awarded to the private sector by any state in over a decade. In August 2022, we completed the sale of the 1,978-bed McRae Correctional Facility to the Georgia Building Authority in order to update its aged and inefficient public sector correctional infrastructure. Competing budget priorities often impede our customers' ability to construct new prison beds of their own or update their older facilities, which we believe could result in further demand for private sector prison capacity solutions in the long-term.

We believe that we can further develop our business by, among other things:

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Maintaining and expanding our existing customer relationships and filling existing capacity within our facilities, while maintaining an adequate inventory of available capacity that we believe provides us with flexibility and a competitive advantage when bidding for new management contracts;

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Enhancing the terms of our existing contracts and expanding the services we provide under those contracts;

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Pursuing additional opportunities to lease our facilities to government and other third-party operators in need of correctional, detention, and residential reentry capacity;

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Pursuing mission-critical real estate solutions for government agencies focused on corrections and detention real estate assets;

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Pursuing other asset acquisitions and business combinations through transactions with non-government third parties;

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Maintaining and expanding our focus on community corrections and reentry programming that align with the needs of our government partners;

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Exploring potential opportunities to expand the scope of non-residential correctional alternative solutions we provide to government agencies; and

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Establishing relationships with new customers that have either previously not outsourced their correctional facility management needs or have utilized other private enterprises.

We generally receive inquiries from or on behalf of government agencies that are considering outsourcing the ownership and/or management of certain facilities or that have already decided to contract with a private enterprise. When we receive such an inquiry, we determine whether there is an existing need for our correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities and/or services and whether the legal and political climate in which the inquiring party operates is conducive to serious consideration of outsourcing. Based on these findings, an initial cost analysis is conducted to further determine project feasibility.

Frequently, government agencies responsible for correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities and services procure space and services through solicitations or competitive procurements. As part of our process of responding to such requests, members of our management team meet with the appropriate personnel from the agency making the request to best determine the agency's needs. If the project fits within our strategy, we submit a written response. A typical solicitation or competitive procurement requires bidders to provide detailed information, including, but not limited to, the space and services to be provided by the bidder, its experience and qualifications, and the price at which the bidder is willing to provide the facility and services (which services may include the purchase, renovation, improvement or expansion of an existing facility or the planning, design and construction of a new facility). The requesting agency selects a provider believed to be able to provide the requested bed capacity, if needed, and most qualified to provide the requested services, and then negotiates the price and terms of the contract with that provider.