Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 Banc Of America LLC And Wachovia Capital Markets LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Amended Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Note 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Note 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Note 6.75% Due 2014 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Note 7.75% Due 2017 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Swing Line Loan [Member] Bank Of America Securities, N.A. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Swing Line Loan [Member] Amended Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Minimum [Member] Amended Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Minimum [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Minimum [Member] Senior Note 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Maximum [Member] Amended Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Maximum [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Maximum [Member] Senior Note 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility initiation date						December 2007
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity			$ 450,000,000	$ 785,000,000							$ 20,000,000	$ 30,000,000
Line of credit interest on outstanding borrowings	At CCA's option, interest on outstanding borrowings was 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				0.50%									0.25%	0.00%		1.00%	0.50%
LIBOR plus a margin				1.50%									1.25%	0.75%		2.00%	1.50%
Percentage of commitment fee to unfunded balance				0.30%
Purchase of Senior Notes								335,000,000
Debt issuance costs, capitalized				6,000,000
Charge against write-off of loan costs					100,000
Revolving Credit Facility outstanding borrowings						265,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility letters of credit outstanding	28,300,000	29,900,000				28,300,000
Available under the Revolving Credit Facility						156,700,000
Sublimit for issuance of standby letters of credit				100,000,000		100,000,000
Percentage of capital stock of foreign subsidiary secured by pledge under Revolving Credit Facilities				65.00%
Aggregate principal amount							375,000,000	375,000,000	150,000,000	465,000,000
Maximum cash tender offer							150,000,000
Early tender deadline date							January 5, 2012
Total consideration offered upon tendering of Senior Notes							1,002.50
Principal amount of Senior Notes for which consideration is offered							1,000
Cash tender paid								57,500,000
Principal amount of Senior Notes outstanding after redemption							40,000,000	40,000,000
Redemption of Senior Notes								277,500,000
Amount charged against purchase and redemption of debt															1,400,000			1,900,000
Interest rate stated percentage of Senior Notes							6.25%	6.25%	6.75%	7.75%
Unsecured senior notes issued date								March 2005	January 2006	June 2009
Senior Notes maturity date								March 2013	January 2014	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%
Credit facility maturity date				December 2016		December 2012
Net book value of assets transferred to subsidiaries	$ 2,600,000,000
Percentage holding shares of subsidiaries guaranteeing the Senior Notes	100.00%
Percentage of Senior Notes offer price in connection with an asset sale	100.00%
Percentage of Senior Notes offer price in connection with change in control	101.00%