non-employee director executive sessions, board self-evaluation, board committees, CEO performance review, succession planning, non-employee director compensation, certain shareholder matters and certain shareholder rights.
The corporate
governance guidelines can be found on our website at http://www.geogroup.com by clicking on the link Social Responsibility on our homepage and then clicking on the link Governance with Integrity-Corporate Governance.
In addition, the corporate governance guidelines are available in print to any shareholder who requests them by contacting our Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations at
561-893-0101.
Annual Board and Committee Self-Assessments and Non-Employee Director Executive Sessions
The board of directors conducts a self-assessment annually, which is
reported by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to the board of directors. In addition, the Audit and Finance Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also undergo annual
self-assessments of their performance. The non-employee directors of the board of directors meet in executive session at least twice per year and such meetings are presided over by a presiding director who is
typically the chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Communications with Directors
The board of directors has adopted a process to facilitate written communications by shareholders or other interested parties to the entire board, the
independent members of the board as a group or any individual member of the board, including the presiding director for non-employee director executive sessions. Persons wishing to write to the board of
directors of GEO, or to a specified director (including the presiding director for non-employee director executive sessions) or a committee of the board, should send correspondence to the Corporate Secretary
at 4955 Technology Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33431.
The Corporate Secretary will forward to the directors all communications that, in his or her judgment,
are appropriate for consideration by the directors. Examples of communications that would not be appropriate for consideration by the directors include commercial solicitations and matters not relevant to the shareholders, to the functioning of the
board, or to the affairs of GEO.
Board Member Attendance at Annual Meetings
GEO encourages all of its directors to attend the annual meeting of shareholders. All of our directors at the time attended the 2021 annual meeting of
shareholders.
Human Rights and ESG
On
September 26, 2019, GEO published its first annual Human Rights and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report, which was based on 2018 data. The Report was developed referencing the Global Reporting Initiative Standards and the
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
GEO is committed to publishing an annual Human Rights and ESG Report. In 2020, GEO published its
second annual Human Rights and ESG Report updating disclosures and metrics for the 2019 calendar year based on recognized ESG reporting standards, related to the development of our employees; our adherence to ethical governance practice throughout
our company; and our efforts to advance environmental sustainability in the custodian and operation of our facilities.
In September 2021, GEO issued its
third Human Rights and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report. The Human Rights and ESG report builds on the important milestone the Company achieved in 2013 when GEOs Board adopted a Global Human Rights Policy by
providing disclosures related to how the Company informs its employees of its commitment to respecting human rights; the criteria GEO uses to assess human rights performance; and GEOs contract compliance program, remedies to shortcomings in
human rights
20