UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Keens, Donald H
   c/o The Wackenhut Corporation
   4200 Wackenhut Drive #100
   Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33410-4243
   USA
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
   2/17/00
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)

4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Wackenhut Corrections Corporation
   WHC
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director  ( ) 10% Owner  (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   Senior Vice President, Intertnational Services
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)

7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person


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 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned                                                                           |
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1. Title of Security                       |2. Amount of          |3. Ownership    |4. Nature of Indirect                          |
                                           |   Securities         |   Form:        |   Beneficial Ownership                        |
                                           |   Beneficially       |   Direct(D) or |                                               |
                                           |   Owned              |   Indirect(I)  |                                               |
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 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Beneficially Owned                                                                             |
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1.Title of Derivative   |2.Date Exer-       |3.Title and Amount     |         |4. Conver-|5. Owner-    |6. Nature of Indirect      |
  Security              |  cisable and      |  of Underlying        |         |sion or   |ship         |   Beneficial Ownership    |
                        |  Expiration       |  Securities           |         |exercise  |Form of      |                           |
                        |  Date(Month/      |-----------------------|---------|price of  |Deriv-       |                           |
                        |  Day/Year)        |                       |Amount   |deri-     |ative        |                           |
                        | Date    | Expira- |                       |or       |vative    |Security:    |                           |
                        | Exer-   | tion    |         Title         |Number of|Security  |Direct(D) or |                           |
                        | cisable | Date    |                       |Shares   |          |Indirect(I)  |                           |
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1995 Option             |12/19/95 |12/18/05 |Common Stock           |12,000   |11.8750   |D            |                           |
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2000 Option             |2/17/00  |2/16/10  |Common Stock           |10,000   |8.4375    |D            |                           |
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Explanation of Responses:
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Donald H. Keens BY F. E. Finizia as Attorney-in-Fact
DATE
2/23/00