Real Estate Transactions - Additional Information (Detail)			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 25, 2022 USD ($)	Jun. 29, 2021 Properties	Jan. 31, 2024 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) Facility Bed	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) Facility	Dec. 31, 2020	May 02, 2023 USD ($)	Jan. 24, 2018 Bed
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Gross Sale Price			$ 8,000,000
Asset Impairment Charges					$ 3,500,000				$ 2,710,000	$ 4,392,000	$ 11,378,000
Net proceeds from sale of assets									11,068,000	157,680,000	$ 320,754,000
Number of properties sold		1									5
Net proceeds after the repayment of debt										27,300,000	$ 125,000,000
Net gain (loss) on sale of properties										9,900,000	38,700,000
Revenues									1,896,635,000	1,845,329,000	1,862,616,000
Operating Costs and Expenses									1,462,430,000	1,413,792,000	1,337,065,000
Assets held for sale									$ 7,480,000	6,936,000
CoreCivic Safety segment
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed									65,000
CoreCivic Community
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the center | Bed									5,000
Assets held for sale									$ 7,500,000
CoreCivic Properties
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed									10,000
Other Assets
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Financing receivable,									$ 139,000,000	142,200,000
Vacant Parcel Land
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net sales proceeds								$ 500,000
Net gain (loss) on sale of properties								$ 400,000
Augusta Transitional Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net sales proceeds									4,500,000
Net gain (loss) on sale of properties									500,000
Kansas Department Of Corrections
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Lease term														20 years
Number of beds at the facility | Bed														2,432
Construction of new facility commencement description												Construction of the facility commenced in the first quarter of 2018, and construction was completed in January 2020,
Revenues									2,600,000	2,500,000
Interest income									8,500,000	8,700,000
West Tennessee Detention Facility
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net carrying value									$ 18,568,000	19,581,000
Roth Hall Residential Reentry Center and the Walker Hall Residential Reentry Center [Member]
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net sales proceeds													$ 5,800,000
Net gain (loss) on sale of properties							$ (25,000)
Idled Correctional Facilities
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of facility | Facility									8
Idled Non-Core Facilities | CoreCivic Safety segment
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net carrying value									$ 2,800,000
Number of beds at the facility | Bed									240
Number of facility | Facility									1
Idle Facilities
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Operating Costs and Expenses									$ 12,500,000	$ 9,700,000	$ 7,600,000
Idle Facilities | CoreCivic Community
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net carrying value									$ 3,400,000
Number of beds at the facility | Bed									450
Number of facility | Facility									2
Idle Facilities | West Tennessee Detention Facility
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Operating Costs and Expenses				$ 2,200,000		$ 3,500,000
Purchase And Sale Agreement [Member] | McRae Correctional Facility | CoreCivic Safety segment
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Gross Sale Price	$ 130,000,000
Net proceeds from sale of assets	129,700,000
Net gain (loss) on sale of properties	$ 77,500,000