HOUSTON, May 20, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cornell Companies, Inc. (NYSE:CRN) today announced that it has been informed by the Georgia Department of Corrections that the Department will not start using the Company's recently completed expansion at its D. Ray James Prison in Georgia. The Company's previous guidance, included in the first quarter earnings release, provided a base case that assumed that the 700-bed expansion at D. Ray James Prison would begin to ramp at the beginning of the third quarter of 2009, and an alternate case that, if the expansion was to remain empty for all of 2009, earnings for the full year would be reduced by up to approximately $0.08 per share. Today's updated guidance assumes that the expansion will remain empty for the remainder of the year. As a result, the Company now expects earnings per share for the full year of $1.62 to $1.70. The Company also reaffirmed the earnings guidance range for the second quarter of $0.42 to $0.46 per share.
James E. Hyman, Cornell's chairman, president and chief executive officer, said, "We are disappointed by the decision from the Georgia DOC but remain confident of our ability to market these beds successfully in the current environment. From our initial decision to expand the facility, we designed D. Ray James to accommodate multiple populations and believe it will provide an attractive alternative for customers needing beds. We have a clear sense of the value our beds and services can deliver customers in this market."
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements regarding the Company's outlook for 2009, ability to succeed, growth for 2009, long-term demand, future earnings, facility expansions including those at D. Ray James Prison, new facility in Hudson, Colorado, results of operations and effective tax rate, as well as any other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws that involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These include but are not limited to risks and uncertainties associated with general economic and market conditions, including the impact governmental budgets can have on our per diem rates and occupancy, Cornell's ability to perform according to its current expectations, changes in supply and demand, actions by government agencies and other third parties, access to capital and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's most recent Form 10-K and other filings made by us from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available free of charge on the SEC's Web site at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from the statements made. All information set forth in this release is current as of the date of this release. Cornell undertakes no duty to update any statement in light of new information or future events.
About Cornell Companies
Cornell Companies, Inc. (www.cornellcompanies.com) is a leading private provider of corrections, treatment and educational services outsourced by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Cornell provides a diversified portfolio of services for adults and juveniles, including incarceration and detention, transition from incarceration, drug and alcohol treatment programs, behavioral rehabilitation and treatment, and grades 3-12 alternative education in an environment of dignity and respect, emphasizing community safety and rehabilitation in support of public policy. The Company has 70 facilities in 15 states and the District of Columbia and a total service capacity of 20,892.
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