Note 21 - Discontinued Operations - Summary of Operations Classified as Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
 [1],[2],[3],[4]
Sep. 30, 2016
Jun. 30, 2016
Mar. 31, 2016
Dec. 31, 2015
 [7],[8],[9],[10]
Sep. 30, 2015
Jun. 30, 2015
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2016
Dec. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost                 $ 2,302
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Interest Expense, Net   $ 229 $ 236 $ 221   $ 252 $ 246 $ 251      
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest $ 108,428 (2,791) [1],[5],[6] $ 2,370 [1],[5] $ 753 [1],[5] $ 104,362 $ (1,505) [5],[8] $ 3,125 [5],[8] $ 1,889 [5],[8] 108,760 107,871 (4,236)
Discontinued Operations [Member]                      
Service revenue, net                 166,090 508,946 388,291
Service expense                 120,906 427,504 350,193
General and administrative expense                 10,114 17,605 19,555
Depreciation and amortization                 21,121 34,303 12,274
Total operating expenses                 152,141 481,005 388,937
Operating income (loss)                 13,949 27,941 (646)
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost                 2,302    
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Interest Expense, Net                 9,929 17,188 4,377
Income (loss) from discontinued operations before gain on disposition and income taxes                 1,718 10,753 (5,023)
Gain on disposition                 167,895 123,129  
(Provision) benefit for income taxes                 (60,853) (26,011) 787
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest                 108,760 107,871 (4,236)
Asset impairment charge                   1,593 6,915
Human Services [Member]                      
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest   $ 5,035                  
Human Services [Member] | Discontinued Operations [Member]                      
Service revenue, net                 291,510 344,960
Service expense                 264,293 315,008
General and administrative expense                 7,966 14,975 19,134
Depreciation and amortization                 4,831 6,655
Total operating expenses                 7,966 285,692 347,712
Operating income (loss)                 (7,966) 5,818 (2,752)
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost                    
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Interest Expense, Net                 2,829 1,478
Income (loss) from discontinued operations before gain on disposition and income taxes                 (7,966) 2,989 (4,230)
Gain on disposition                 123,129  
(Provision) benefit for income taxes                 2,401 (24,318) 588
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest                 (5,565) 101,800 (3,642)
Asset impairment charge                   1,593 6,915
HA Services [Member] | Discontinued Operations [Member]                      
Service revenue, net                 166,090 217,436 43,331
Service expense                 120,906 163,211 35,185
General and administrative expense                 2,148 2,630 421
Depreciation and amortization                 21,121 29,472 5,619
Total operating expenses                 144,175 195,313 41,225
Operating income (loss)                 21,915 22,123 2,106
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost                 2,302    
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Interest Expense, Net                 9,929 14,359 2,899
Income (loss) from discontinued operations before gain on disposition and income taxes                 9,684 7,764 (793)
Gain on disposition                 167,895  
(Provision) benefit for income taxes                 (63,254) (1,693) 199
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest                 $ 114,325 6,071 (594)
Asset impairment charge                  
[1] Includes equity in net loss of investee of $2,717, $1,459, $1,544 and $2,801, for the quarters ending March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016, September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2016, respectively, related to the Company's investment in Mission Providence. Includes equity in net loss of investee of $1,789, for the quarter ending December 31, 2016, related to the Company’s investment in Matrix.
[2] Includes gain on loss of controlling interest in Matrix, net of tax, of $109,403.
[3] Service revenue, net for the quarter ending December 31, 2016 decreased from the quarter ended September 30, 2016 primarily due to decreased revenue associated with the WD Services' National Citizen Service summer youth programs, which are seasonal in nature. Additionally, the quarter ended September 30, 2016 included revenue of $5,367 under the WD Services' offender rehabilitation program related to the finalization of a contractual adjustment for the contract years ending March 31, 2015 and 2016.
[4] The Company recorded an asset impairment charge of $1,415 related to the building and land utilized by the holding company, which was sold effective December 30, 2016. Also, the Company recorded asset impairment charges in its WD Services segment of $9,983, $4,381 and $5,224 to its property and equipment, intangible assets and goodwill, respectively.
[5] The Company classified interest expense, net of tax, of $221, $236 and $229 for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively, and $251, $246 and $252 for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2015, June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2015, respectively, to Discontinued Operations. Such amounts were previously classified as continuing operations in the Company's Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2016. These amounts relate to the finalization of interest expense allocated to discontinued operations associated with the debt that was required to be repaid upon the completion of the Matrix stock subscription transaction.
[6] The Company recorded expenses, net of tax, of $5,035 in Discontinued operations, net of tax, in the quarter ending September 30, 2016 related to the Company’s former Human Services segment, which are principally related to an ongoing legal matter.
[7] Includes a gain due to a reduction in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration of $2,469 in 2015 related to the Ingeus acquisition.
[8] Includes equity in net loss of investee of $2,483, $1,059, $4,465 and $2,962, for the quarters ending March 31, 2015, June 30, 2015, September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2015, respectively, related to the Company's investment in Mission Providence which incurred significant start-up costs during 2015.
[9] Includes gain on disposition, net of tax, of $100,332, in relation to the sale of the Company's Human Services segment.
[10] The Company incurred $20,944 of expense related to restricted shares and cash placed into escrow at the time of the Ingeus acquisition. The shares and cash were placed into escrow concurrent with the payment of the acquisition consideration paid for Ingeus; however, because two sellers of Ingeus remained employees post acquisition, the value of the shares and cash was recognized as compensation expense over the escrow term. Acceleration of this expense was triggered when the two sellers separated from the Company.