Schedule of Total Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 3,068,608	$ 3,244,769
Safety
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	2,322,801	2,433,126
Community
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	213,977	216,303
CoreCivic Properties
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	346,481	362,908
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 185,349	$ 232,432