Schedule of Other Assets (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Other Assets [Line Items]
Debt issuance costs, accumulated amortization	$ 542	$ 2,844

Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Revolving Credit Facility, Accumulated Amortization

No definition available.

Name:	cxw_DebtIssuanceCostsAssociatedWithRevolvingCreditFacilityAccumulatedAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	cxw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant