Property and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) Facility Property Building	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Number of real estate properties owned | Property		70
Number of properties leased to third parties and used by government agencies | Facility		12
Number of corporate office buildings | Building		2
Number of facilities owned by government partners, managed | Facility		7
Interest capitalization cost on construction in progress		$ 0	$ 600,000	$ 5,500,000
Depreciation expense		$ 145,700,000	165,800,000	151,400,000
Number of facilities subject to options | Facility		10
Expenses incurred on operating lease property		$ 66,300,000	$ 103,500,000	$ 85,900,000
Purchase price paid for real property in addition to bonds value	$ 100
ICE
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Agreement notice period for termination		60 days
Third Party Lessor
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Period to reach an agreement for continued use of facility from termination date		90 days
Lease termination penalty		$ 10,000,000
Payment amount					$ 70,000,000
Third Party Lessor | Preexisting Cottages
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Operating lease term		4 months
South Texas Family Residential Center
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Payments expected to be made under the cancelable lease		$ 189,500,000
Declining to zero by October 2020 | Third Party Lessor
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Lease termination penalty		$ 0
Residential Reentry Centers
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Number of real estate properties under operating leases | Property		3
Operating leases latest expiration year		2019
Elizabeth Detention Center
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Operating lease, expiration date		Jun. 30, 2022
Development Authority Of Telfair County
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Percentage of property tax abatement	90.00%
Percentage of property tax abatement, decrease in percentage	(10.00%)
Principal amount of bond issued	$ 15,000,000
Number of years of tax abatement	9 years