Pay vs Performance Disclosure - USD ($)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Dec. 31, 2021

Dec. 31, 2020

Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table]

Pay Versus Performance

In accordance with rules adopted by the SEC pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, we provide the following disclosure regarding executive compensation for our principal executive officer (“PEO”) and Non-PEO NEOs and company performance for the fiscal years listed below. The Compensation Committee did not consider the pay versus performance disclosure below in making its compensation decisions for any of the years shown. For information regarding the compensation decisions made by the Compensation Committee with respect to the PEO’s or non-PEO NEOs’ compensation for each fiscal year, please see the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of the Proxy Statement reporting compensation for the fiscal years presented in the Pay Versus Performance table.

Year (a)	Summary Compen- sation Table Total for PEO (b)	Compen- sation Actually Paid to PEO (c)	Average Summary Compen- sation Total for Non-PEO NEOs (d)	Average Compen- sation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs (e)	Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based on CXW TSR (f)	Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based on Peer Group TSR (g)	Net Income (Loss) (in thousands) (h)	Normalized FFO (in thousands) (i)
2020	$4,405,451	$1,440,049	$1,804,908	$645,024	$40	$92	$54,157	$271,768
2021	$5,445,316	$7,174,536	$2,243,222	$2,892,714	$61	$126	$(51,896)	$225,484
2022	$5,159,741	$5,286,571	$2,126,404	$2,223,381	$71	$91	$122,320	$165,216

Explanation of information in the columns of the table:

Columns (b) and (d)

Reflects compensation amounts reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the PEO, our CEO, and the Non-PEO NEOs, respectively, for the years shown.

Columns (c) and (e)

Below is an explanation of the amounts added to and deducted from the Summary Compensation table total compensation amounts to determine “compensation actually paid” in accordance with Item 402(v)(2) of Regulation S-K:

	PEO			Non-PEO NEOs (avg)
	2020	2021	2022	2020	2021	2022
Summary Compensation Table Total	$4,405,451	$5,445,316	$5,159,741	$1,804,908	$2,243,222	$2,126,404
Less grant date fair value of stock awards	(2,600,000)	(2,600,002)	(2,600,005)	(1,000,003)	(999,993)	(999,996)
Add year-end fair value of awards granted during the covered fiscal year that are outstanding and unvested as of the end of the covered fiscal year	947,738	3,312,666	2,674,182	373,274	1,280,383	1,052,904
Add change in fair value as of fiscal year-end compared to prior year-end fair value for unvested and outstanding awards granted in prior fiscal years	(1,300,015)	920,210	55,790	(526,071)	326,533	46,397
Add change in fair value as of vesting date compared to prior year-end fair value for vested and outstanding awards granted in prior fiscal years	(13,125)	96,346	(3,137)	(7,084)	42,569	(2,328)
Less amount equal to the fair value at end of the prior fiscal year for any awards granted in any prior fiscal year that fail to meet applicable vesting conditions	—	—	—	—	—	—
Add dividends paid on unvested equity awards during fiscal year	—	—	—	—	—	—
Compensation Actually Paid	$1,440,049	$7,174,536	$5,286,571	$645,024	$2,892,714	$2,223,381

Principal Executive Officer and Non-PEO Named Executive Officers (Non-PEO NEOs)

Damon T. Hininger served as PEO for each of the years in the table. The Non-PEO NEOs included in columns (d) and (e) are as follows:

Fiscal 2022	Fiscal 2021	Fiscal 2020
David M. Garfinkle	David M. Garfinkle	David M. Garfinkle
Patrick D. Swindle	Patrick D. Swindle	Patrick D. Swindle
Anthony L. Grande	Anthony L. Grande	Anthony L. Grande
Lucibeth N. Mayberry	Lucibeth N. Mayberry	Lucibeth N. Mayberry

Stock awards for our PEO and Non-PEO NEOs consist of a combination of time-based RSUs and performance-based RSUs. See the notes to the Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards table for more information on how we determine fair value for equity awards. Our Compensation Committee did not grant stock options to our PEO or Non-PEO NEOs in fiscal years 2020-2023. Additionally, neither our PEO, nor our Non-PEO NEOs, participate in a defined benefit or actuarial pension plan.

Columns (f) and (g)

As calculated in the manner prescribed by Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K. Columns (f) and (g) represent the cumulative total shareholder return of the Company and the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index, respectively, over the applicable measurement period.

Column (h) and (i)

The dollar amounts reported in columns (h) and (i) represent the amount of net income attributable to common stockholders reflected in the Company’s audited financial statements and the Company-selected measure of Normalized FFO, respectively, for the applicable year. The Company believes Normalized FFO is the financial performance measure most closely linked to the calculation of compensation actually paid. Normalized FFO is defined in Appendix A to this Proxy Statement. Amounts in these columns are in thousands.

Company Selected Measure Name

Normalized FFO

Named Executive Officers, Footnote [Text Block]

Principal Executive Officer and Non-PEO Named Executive Officers (Non-PEO NEOs)

Damon T. Hininger served as PEO for each of the years in the table. The Non-PEO NEOs included in columns (d) and (e) are as follows:

Fiscal 2022	Fiscal 2021	Fiscal 2020
David M. Garfinkle	David M. Garfinkle	David M. Garfinkle
Patrick D. Swindle	Patrick D. Swindle	Patrick D. Swindle
Anthony L. Grande	Anthony L. Grande	Anthony L. Grande
Lucibeth N. Mayberry	Lucibeth N. Mayberry	Lucibeth N. Mayberry

Peer Group Issuers, Footnote [Text Block]

PEO Total Compensation Amount

$ 5,159,741

$ 5,445,316

$ 4,405,451

PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount

$ 5,286,571

7,174,536

1,440,049

Adjustment To PEO Compensation, Footnote [Text Block]

	PEO			Non-PEO NEOs (avg)
	2020	2021	2022	2020	2021	2022
Summary Compensation Table Total	$4,405,451	$5,445,316	$5,159,741	$1,804,908	$2,243,222	$2,126,404
Less grant date fair value of stock awards	(2,600,000)	(2,600,002)	(2,600,005)	(1,000,003)	(999,993)	(999,996)
Add year-end fair value of awards granted during the covered fiscal year that are outstanding and unvested as of the end of the covered fiscal year	947,738	3,312,666	2,674,182	373,274	1,280,383	1,052,904
Add change in fair value as of fiscal year-end compared to prior year-end fair value for unvested and outstanding awards granted in prior fiscal years	(1,300,015)	920,210	55,790	(526,071)	326,533	46,397
Add change in fair value as of vesting date compared to prior year-end fair value for vested and outstanding awards granted in prior fiscal years	(13,125)	96,346	(3,137)	(7,084)	42,569	(2,328)
Less amount equal to the fair value at end of the prior fiscal year for any awards granted in any prior fiscal year that fail to meet applicable vesting conditions	—	—	—	—	—	—
Add dividends paid on unvested equity awards during fiscal year	—	—	—	—	—	—
Compensation Actually Paid	$1,440,049	$7,174,536	$5,286,571	$645,024	$2,892,714	$2,223,381

Non-PEO NEO Average Total Compensation Amount

$ 2,126,404

2,243,222

1,804,908

Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount

$ 2,223,381

2,892,714

645,024

Adjustment to Non-PEO NEO Compensation Footnote [Text Block]

	PEO			Non-PEO NEOs (avg)
	2020	2021	2022	2020	2021	2022
Summary Compensation Table Total	$4,405,451	$5,445,316	$5,159,741	$1,804,908	$2,243,222	$2,126,404
Less grant date fair value of stock awards	(2,600,000)	(2,600,002)	(2,600,005)	(1,000,003)	(999,993)	(999,996)
Add year-end fair value of awards granted during the covered fiscal year that are outstanding and unvested as of the end of the covered fiscal year	947,738	3,312,666	2,674,182	373,274	1,280,383	1,052,904
Add change in fair value as of fiscal year-end compared to prior year-end fair value for unvested and outstanding awards granted in prior fiscal years	(1,300,015)	920,210	55,790	(526,071)	326,533	46,397
Add change in fair value as of vesting date compared to prior year-end fair value for vested and outstanding awards granted in prior fiscal years	(13,125)	96,346	(3,137)	(7,084)	42,569	(2,328)
Less amount equal to the fair value at end of the prior fiscal year for any awards granted in any prior fiscal year that fail to meet applicable vesting conditions	—	—	—	—	—	—
Add dividends paid on unvested equity awards during fiscal year	—	—	—	—	—	—
Compensation Actually Paid	$1,440,049	$7,174,536	$5,286,571	$645,024	$2,892,714	$2,223,381

Compensation Actually Paid vs. Total Shareholder Return [Text Block]

Below are graphs showing the relationship of “compensation actually paid” to our PEO and Non-PEO NEOs in 2020, 2021, and 2022 to (1) TSR of both the Company and the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index, (2) the Company’s net income, and (3) the Company’s Normalized FFO.

Compensation Actually Paid vs. Net Income [Text Block]

Compensation Actually Paid vs. Company Selected Measure [Text Block]

Total Shareholder Return Vs Peer Group [Text Block]

Tabular List [Table Text Block]

Tabular List of Financial Performance Measures

The most important financial performance measures used by the Company to link executive compensation actually paid to the Company’s PEO and Non-PEO NEOs, for the most recently completed fiscal year, to the Company’s performance are as follows: