Corrections Corp. is the go-to stock for many investors as well. At 24, its shares trade at 17.9 times expected 2010 profits, compared with 13.5 times for Geo and 12.1 times for Cornell. Cornell doesn't get the same respect, because 26% of its revenue comes from lower-margin juvenile-detention facilities. But it is also the most sensitive to economic swings -- it doesn't take much to move Cornell's needle -- and hence more suitable for traders with an appetite for risk. Signal Hill's Robillard rates all three Buy, but he gives the short-term edge to Cornell over Geo, and to Geo over CCA over the next six to 12 months. CCA's recent run has already "priced in a lot of the growth re-acceleration," he says, "while Cornell and Geo can still catch up." In fact, analysts' conservative price targets put Cornell at 26, 10% above its recent quotes. Over the long run, however, Robillard argues that CCA's bigger balance sheet gives it the most options.

P/E of 27

Cornell (CRN), whose earnings estimates were cut this year after it lost a federal contract for the incarceration of illegal immigrants at one of it's Arizona prisons, also looks pricey at first glance, trading at 30.5 times 2007 earnings estimates. But analysts say that earnings could rebound next year to $1.27 a share from an estimated 82 cents this year, sending the stock up by 40% or more. Returns like that seem almost, well, illegal.

P/E of 28 and a PEG of 2.5.

With just 8 percent of the market,Cornell is the smallest player.But the company is expanding its Folkston,GA,prison in response to demand from the U.S. Marshals Service.Its long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 10% a year for the next 5 years.

Upgraded by First Analysis Sec from Equal-Weight to Overweight

Dunno, cause I typed in my initials and they actually represent a company..

Upgraded by Avondale Partners from Mkt Perform to Mkt Outperform