Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Revolving credit facility initiation date	December 2007
Line of credit interest on outstanding borrowings	At CCA's option, interest on outstanding borrowings will be based on either a base rate plus a margin ranging from 0.00% to 0.50% or a London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") plus a margin ranging from 0.75% to 1.50%.
Base rate plus a margin	0.00%
LIBOR plus a margin	0.75%
Percentage of commitment fee to unfunded balance	0.15%
Revolving Credit Facility outstanding borrowings	$ 125.0
Revolving Credit Facility letters of credit outstanding	29.7
Available under the Revolving Credit Facility	295.3
Maximum limit to increase Revolving Credit Facility consisting of revolving credit, term loans, or a combination of the two, subject to, among other things	300.0
Percentage of capital stock of foreign subsidiary secured by pledge under Revolving Credit Facilities	65.00%
Revolving Credit Facility maturity date	December 2012
Senior Note 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]
Aggregate principal amount	375.0
Interest rate stated percentage of senior notes	6.25%
Unsecured senior notes issued date	March 2005
Senior Notes maturity date	March 2013
Senior Note 6.75% Due 2014 [Member]
Aggregate principal amount	150.0
Interest rate stated percentage of senior notes	6.75%
Unsecured senior notes issued date	January 2006
Senior Notes maturity date	January 2014
Senior Note 7.75% Due 2017 [Member]
Aggregate principal amount	465.0
Interest rate stated percentage of senior notes	7.75%
Unsecured senior notes issued date	June 2009
Senior Notes maturity date	June 2017
Issued price of senior notes	97.116%
Yield to maturity	8.25%
Percentage of notes redeemable by net proceeds from equity offering	35.00%
Percentage of aggregate principal amount outstanding of remaining notes	65.00%
Swing Line Loan [Member] \| Banc of America Securities LLC [Member]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	20.0
Banc of America LLC and Wachovia Capital Markets L L C [Member]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	450.0
Banc of America Securities LLC [Member]
Sublimit for issuance of standby letters of credit	$ 100.0

Debt Instrument Maturity Period

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- Definition

Issued price of senior notes.

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- Definition

Margin on Base Rate for Line of Credit.

+ Details

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- Definition

margin on LIBOR.

+ Details

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- Definition

Maximum limit to increase Revolving Credit Facility.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

Percentage Of Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Of Remaining Notes.

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- Definition

Percentage of Capital Stock of foreign subsidiary secured by pledge under Revolving Credit Facilities.

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- Definition

Percentage of notes redeemable by net proceeds from equity offering.

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- Definition

Sublimit for issuance of standby letters of credit.

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- Definition

Yield to maturity.

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- Definition

The stated principal amount of the debt instrument at time of issuance, which may vary from the carrying amount because of unamortized premium or discount.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)
-Number 21
-Paragraph 16, 20
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584090&loc=d3e28878-108400

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- Definition

Interest rate stated in the contractual debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Date when the debt instrument was issued, which may be presented in a variety of ways (year, month and year, day, month and year, quarter, etc.).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount borrowed under the credit facility as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

Reflects when the credit facility terminates, which may be presented in a variety of ways (year, month and year, day, month and year, quarter).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 129
-Paragraph 2, 4
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Reflects when the credit facility first became available, which may be presented in a variety of ways (year, month and year, day, month and year, quarter).

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Description of the interest rate for the amounts borrowed under the credit facility, including the terms and the method for determining the interest rate (for example, fixed or variable, LIBOR plus a percentage, increasing rate, timing of interest rate resets, remarketing provisions).

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

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