Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Maximum [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate plus a margin	0.50%
LIBOR plus a margin	1.50%
Minimum [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate plus a margin	0.00%
LIBOR plus a margin	0.75%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving Credit Facility initiation date	December 2007
Revolving Credit Facility maturity date	December 2012
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	230,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility letters of credit outstanding	29,700,000
Available under the Revolving Credit Facility	190,300,000
Maximum limit to increase Revolving Credit Facility consisting of revolving credit, term loans, or a combination of the two, subject to, among other things	300,000,000
Percentage of capital stock of foreign subsidiary secured by pledge under Revolving Credit Facilities	65.00%
Senior Notes 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount	375,000,000
Interest rate stated percentage of senior notes	6.25%
Unsecured senior notes issued date	March 2005
Senior Notes maturity date	March 2013
Senior Notes 6.75% Due 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount	150,000,000
Interest rate stated percentage of senior notes	6.75%
Unsecured senior notes issued date	January 2006
Senior Notes maturity date	January 2014
Senior Notes 7.75% Due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount	465,000,000
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%
Redemption date	June 1, 2013
Swing Line Loans [Member] \| Banc Of America Securities LLC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	20,000,000
Banc Of America Securities LLC And Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	450,000,000
Banc Of America Securities LLC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Sublimit for issuance of standby letters of credit	100,000,000

Date of redemption of notes.

Name:	cxw_DateOfRedemptionOfNotes
Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	invest:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Instrument Maturity Period

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Issued price of senior notes.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Margin on Base Rate for Line of Credit.

+ Details

Name:	cxw_MarginOnBaseRate
Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Margin on LIBOR.

+ Details

Name:	cxw_MarginOnLibor
Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum limit to increase Revolving Credit Facility.

+ Details

Name:	cxw_MaximumLimitToIncreaseRevolvingCreditFacility
Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage Of Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Of Remaining Notes.

+ Details

Name:	cxw_PercentageOfAggregatePrincipalAmountOutstandingOfRemainingNotes
Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of notes redeemable by net proceeds from equity offering.

+ Details

Name:	cxw_PercentageOfNotesRedeemableByNetProceedsFromEquityOffering
Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sublimit for issuance of standby letters of credit.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Yield to maturity.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cxw
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- 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

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- 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

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- 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

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- 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

-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

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

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

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration