Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2013 Adams County Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Bent County Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Bridgeport Pre-Parole Transfer Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 CAI - Boston Avenue	Dec. 31, 2013 California City Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Central Arizona Detention Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Cibola County Corrections Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Cimarron Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Coffee Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Crossroads Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Crowley County Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Davis Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 D.C. Correctional Treatment Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Diamondback Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Eden Detention Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Eloy Detention Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Florence County Detention Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Houston Community	Dec. 31, 2013 Houston Processing Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Huerfano County Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Jenkins County Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Kit Carson Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Lake Erie Correctional Institution	Dec. 31, 2013 La Palma Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Laredo Processing Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Leavenworth U.S.M. Detention Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Lee Adjustment Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Leo Chesney Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Marion Adjustment Center	Dec. 31, 2013 McRae County Georgia Prison	Dec. 31, 2013 Mineral Wells Pre-Parole Transfer Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Nevada Southern Detention Center	Dec. 31, 2013 New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 North Fork Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Northeast Ohio Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Otter Creek Adjustment Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Prairie Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Queensgate Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Red Rock Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Saguaro Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 San Diego Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Shelby Training Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Stewart Detention Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 T. Don Hutto Correctional Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Torrance County Detention Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Webb County Detention Center	Dec. 31, 2013 West Tennessee Detention Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Wheeler Correctional Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Whiteville Correctional Facility
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Location					Adams County, Mississippi	Las Animas, Colorado	Bridgeport, Texas	San Diego, California	California City, California	Florence, Arizona	Milan, New Mexico	Cushing, Oklahoma	Nicholls, Georgia	Shelby, Montana	Olney Springs, Colorado	Holdenville, Oklahoma	Washington, D.C.	Watonga, Oklahoma	Eden, Texas	Eloy, Arizona	Florence, Arizona	Houston, Texas	Houston, Texas	Walsenburg, Colorado	Millen, Georgia	Burlington, Colorado	Conneaut, Ohio	Eloy, Arizona	Laredo, Texas	Leavenworth, Kansas	Beattyville, Kentucky	Live Oak, California	St. Mary, Kentucky	McRae, Georgia	Mineral Wells, Texas	Pahrump, Nevada	Grants, New Mexico	Sayre, Oklahoma	Youngstown, Ohio	Wheelwright, Kentucky	Appleton, Minnesota	Cincinnati, Ohio	Eloy, Arizona	Eloy, Arizona	San Diego, California	Memphis, Tennessee	Lumpkin, Georgia	Tutwiler, Mississippi	Taylor, Texas	Estancia, New Mexico	Laredo, Texas	Mason, Tennessee	Alamo, Georgia	Whiteville, Tennessee
Land, Initial Cost to Company	$ 58,965				$ 874	$ 550	$ 70	$ 800	$ 1,785	$ 1,298	$ 444	$ 250	$ 194	$ 413	$ 211	$ 250		$ 208	$ 769	$ 1,320			$ 2,250	$ 124	$ 208	$ 432	$ 2,871		$ 788	$ 130	$ 500	$ 250	$ 250	$ 462	$ 176	$ 7,548	$ 142		$ 750	$ 500	$ 100	$ 750	$ 10		$ 28,845	$ 150	$ 143		$ 183	$ 511	$ 498	$ 538	$ 117	$ 303
Buildings and Improvements, Initial Cost to Company	2,180,519				119,565	13,115	291	11,440	125,337	57,857	16,215	71,303	28,361	33,196	46,845	66,701		41,677	27,645	33,308	75,674	9,207	53,373	26,358	48,158	35,980	69,779	183,155	26,737	44,970	515	4,774	9,994	60,396	22,589	64,362	15,888	42,166	39,583	24,487	22,306	15,221	78,456	98,903	92,458	6,393	70,560	44,638	13,418	52,599	20,160	31,931	30,781	51,694
Cost Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition	839,418				2,738	65,963	588	30	3,009	29,573	28,931	41,547	44,352	6,349	26,720	39,515	5,473	20,906	32,460	10,197	8,726		36,291	4,083	29	42,168	1,405	11,947	1,747	42,029	16,065	1,577	8,277	16,930	4,948	8,475	13,596	57,447	6,892	11,197	7,782	1,586	904	288	10,325	3,076	7,644	92,711	3,609	5,114	4,640	5,340	40,916	3,303
Land and Land Improvements, Gross Amount	99,437				1,075	1,161	209	830	2,497	2,590	1,319	570	853	867	1,887	872	71	567	4,978	2,674	719		3,075	984	235	787	3,669	184	922	464	1,214	250	915	845	530	7,580	807	248	1,675	1,447	1,065	750	127	193	37,148	275	716	1,411	591	1,704	1,885	2,008	423	1,571
Buildings and Leasehold Improvements, Gross Amount	2,979,465				122,102	78,467	740	11,440	127,634	86,138	44,271	112,530	72,054	39,091	71,889	105,594	5,402	62,224	55,896	42,151	83,681	9,207	88,839	29,581	48,160	77,793	70,386	194,918	28,350	86,665	15,866	6,351	17,606	76,943	27,183	72,805	28,819	99,365	45,550	34,737	29,123	16,807	79,243	98,998	94,480	9,344	77,631	135,938	16,619	56,520	23,413	35,801	71,391	53,729
Total Gross Amount	3,078,902	3,049,672	2,972,528	2,888,791	123,177	79,628	949	12,270	130,131	88,728	45,590	113,100	72,907	39,958	73,776	106,466	5,473	62,791	60,874	44,825	84,400	9,207	91,914	30,565	48,395	78,580	74,055	195,102	29,272	87,129	17,080	6,601	18,521	77,788	27,713	80,385	29,626	99,613	47,225	36,184	30,188	17,557	79,370	99,191	131,628	9,619	78,347	137,349	17,210	58,224	25,298	37,809	71,814	55,300
Accumulated Depreciation	$ (755,761)	$ (680,965)	$ (607,771)	$ (539,094)	$ (12,527)	$ (16,430)	$ (423)	$ (161)	$ (36,832)	$ (26,457)	$ (13,757)	$ (26,399)	$ (15,713)	$ (25,237)	$ (16,075)	$ (25,039)	$ (2,933)	$ (18,569)	$ (16,034)	$ (13,314)	$ (23,301)	$ (2,734)	$ (24,592)	$ (10,765)	$ (1,769)	$ (15,933)	$ (2,823)	$ (22,442)	$ (8,969)	$ (21,191)	$ (5,202)	$ (2,215)	$ (5,092)	$ (14,261)	$ (9,858)	$ (5,696)	$ (9,669)	$ (21,733)	$ (14,432)	$ (11,379)	$ (10,822)	$ (5,748)	$ (12,074)	$ (13,167)	$ (84,037)	$ (8,868)	$ (13,199)	$ (31,845)	$ (5,592)	$ (18,108)	$ (7,857)	$ (12,338)	$ (15,450)	$ (16,700)
Constructed/Acquired Date					2008	1992	1995	2013	1999	1994	1994	1997	1998	1999	2003	1996	2001	1998	1995	1995	1999	1998	1984	1997	2012	1998	2011	2008	1985	1992	1998	1989	1998	2000	1995	2010	1989	1998	1997	1998	1991	1998	2006	2007	1999	1986	2004	2000	1997	1990	1998	1990	1998	1998