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Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 02, 2022	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	May 12, 2022
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount						$ 150.0
Number Of Shares Repurchased Under Share Repurchase Program		6,600,000
Cost of Repurchase of Shares Under Share Repurchase Program			$ 74.5
Vesting description			The RSUs awarded to officers and executive officers in 2020, 2021 and 2022 consist of a combination of awards with performance-based conditions and time-based conditions. Unless earlier vested under the terms of the RSU agreements, the RSUs with time-based vesting conditions vest in equal amounts over three years on the later of (i) the anniversary date of the grant or (ii) the delivery of the audited financial statements by the Company's independent registered public accountant for the applicable fiscal year. The RSUs with performance-based vesting conditions are divided into one-third increments, each of which is subject to vesting based upon satisfaction of certain annual performance criteria established at the beginning of the fiscal years ending December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022 for the 2020 awards, December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023 for the 2021 awards, and December 31, 2022, 2023, and 2024 for the 2022 awards, and which can be increased up to 150% or decreased to 0% based on performance relative to the annual performance criteria, and further increased or decreased using a modifier of 80% to 120% based on CoreCivic's total shareholder return relative to a peer group. Based on performance achieved for 2022, the RSUs subject to performance-based vesting criteria were decreased by 45.6%; however, the decrease was partially offset by a 120% modifier based on CoreCivic's total shareholder return relative to the peer group. Because the performance criteria for the fiscal years ending December 31, 2023 and 2024 have not yet been established, the values of the third RSU increment of the 2021 awards and of the second and third increments of the 2022 awards for financial reporting purposes will not be determined until such criteria are established.
Common stock, par value		$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares issued		114,988,000	114,988,000	120,285,000
Preferred stock, shares authorized		50,000,000	50,000,000	50,000,000
Preferred stock, shares par value		$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
2020 Stock Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized for issuance of awards		5,900,000	5,900,000
Number of shares available for issuance		7,300,000	7,300,000
Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount	$ 225.0
Share Repurchase Program Additional Amount Authorized To Be Repurchased	$ 75.0
Other Employees
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period, continuous service requirement			3 years
Restricted stock based awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Fair value of restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic to certain of its employees and non-employee directors			$ 21.5	$ 21.8
Allocated share-based compensation expense			17.6	18.7	$ 17.3
Unrecognized compensation cost		$ 15.2	$ 15.2
Remaining period for recognizing the unrecognized compensation cost, in years			1 year 8 months 12 days
Total fair value of RSUs that vested			$ 18.3	6.4	12.8
Restricted stock based awards \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Increase Decrease in vesting percentage based on performance relative to annual performance criteria			0.00%
Increase Decrease in vesting percentage based on shareholder return relative to peer group			80.00%
Restricted stock based awards \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Increase Decrease in vesting percentage based on performance relative to annual performance criteria			150.00%
Increase Decrease in vesting percentage based on shareholder return relative to peer group			120.00%
Restricted stock based awards \| General and Administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense			$ 16.1	17.1	15.6
Restricted stock based awards \| Operating
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense			$ 1.5	$ 1.6	$ 1.7
Restricted stock based awards \| Employees And Non Employee Directors
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic			2,100,000	2,700,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Employees And Non Employee Directors \| General and Administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic			1,900,000	2,500,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Employee \| Operating
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic			200,000	200,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Officers And Executive Officers
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Percent of awards eligible to vest				33.33%
Stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Term of options			10 years
Stock options \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period				3 years
Stock options \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period			4 years
Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Increase Decrease in vesting percentage based on performance relative to annual performance criteria			45.60%
Modifier based on shareholder return relative to peer group			120.00%