Real Estate Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands					1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended											12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2016 Person	Jul. 18, 2016 Option Person	Jun. 10, 2016 USD ($) Bed	Aug. 27, 2015 USD ($) Bed Facility	Oct. 31, 2016	May 31, 2016 USD ($) Bed	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Bed Person	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) Facility	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Bed	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) Bed Facility	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Bed	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) Installment	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) Facility	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Bed Person Business-Combination	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Bed	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jul. 29, 2016 Bed	Apr. 30, 2016 Bed	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed			112	600					89,700											89,700
Deferred Revenue - Noncurrent							$ 63,289		$ 53,437				$ 63,289							$ 53,437	$ 63,289
Revenue									464,134	$ 474,935	$ 463,331	$ 447,385	447,835	$ 459,957	$ 459,295	$ 426,000				1,849,785	1,793,087	$ 1,646,867
Expenditures for facility development and expansions																				41,816	164,880	85,791
Amount invested to acquire property							30,401		$ 29,831				30,401							29,831	30,401
Consideration paid				$ 13,800
Purchase price, net tangible assets			$ 7,400	13,400
Purchase price, identifiable intangible assets			$ 300	$ 400
Number of facilities acquired | Facility				4
Lease expiration date			2020-06	2019-07
Lease extension period			5 years	5 years
Payment made to acquire residential reentry facility			$ 7,700
Operating Expense																				1,275,586	1,256,128	1,156,135
Asset impairments																					955	30,082
CAI - Boston Avenue | New Contracts
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Lease expiration date		Jun. 30, 2018
Operating leases agreement renewal term		1 year
Number of one-year renewal options | Option		3
Lease agreement commencing date		Aug. 01, 2016
CAI-Ocean View
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed																								483
Idle Facilities
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Operating Expense																				$ 8,500	$ 7,300	6,500
Trousdale Turner Correctional Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed									2,552											2,552
Number of inmates | Person																				2,300
Percentage of guaranteed occupancy under management contract																					90.00%
Amount invested to acquire property							144,000						144,000								$ 144,000
Oklahoma Department Of Corrections
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed						2,400
Operating leases agreement renewal term						2 years
Lease agreement commencing date						Jul. 01, 2016
Lease term						5 years
Average annual rent						$ 7,300
Annual rent year five						$ 12,000
Cibola County Corrections Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed																							1,129
Net carrying value									$ 29,400											$ 29,400
Cibola County Corrections Center | ICE | New Contracts
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Contract term	5 years
Kit Carson Correctional Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed									1,488	1,488										1,488
Net carrying value							60,039		$ 58,819				60,039							$ 58,819	60,039
Number of facilities inmates were transferred to | Facility										2
Queensgate Correctional And Mineral Wells Pre Parole Transfer Facility
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net carrying value								$ 28,800										$ 28,800
Asset impairments																	$ 27,800
Houston Educational Facility
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net carrying value																									$ 6,400
Asset impairments																			$ 2,200
Offer from third party								$ 4,500										$ 4,500
Sale, closing date																		2014-12
South Texas Family Residential Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Management contract, expiration date					2021-09
ICE
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Deferred Revenue - Noncurrent																	$ 70,000					70,000
Number of distinct multiple element arrangements | Business-Combination																				5
Revenue																				$ 266,800	244,200	21,000
Deferred revenue							$ 94,600		$ 67,000				$ 94,600							$ 67,000	$ 94,600
ICE | Installment Payment
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of installments | Installment																	2
Installments due																	Dec. 31, 2014
Amount to be settled as an installment																	$ 35,000					$ 35,000
Red Rock Correctional Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed							1,596						1,596								1,596
Expected additional number of offenders to be managed by the company | Person							1,000
Number of inmates | Person																				1,700
Total number of offenders to be managed by the company | Person							2,000
Expenditures for facility development and expansions							$ 37,000
Red Rock Correctional Center | New Contracts
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed							2,024						2,024								2,024
Maximum | CAI - Boston Avenue
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of residents to be housed | Person		120
Maximum | Cibola County Corrections Center | ICE | New Contracts
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of detainees to be housed | Person	1,116
Maximum | South Texas Family Residential Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Facility								2,400										2,400
Management contract, initial term								4 years
Minimum | South Texas Family Residential Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Agreement notice period for termination								60 days