Schedule of Total Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 3,055,402	$ 3,244,769
Safety
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	2,344,037	2,433,126
Community
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	216,632	216,303
CoreCivic Properties
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	358,304	362,908
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 136,429	$ 232,432