Description of the frequency of periodic payments (monthly, quarterly, annual).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75038535&loc=d3e64711-112823

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFrequencyOfPeriodicPayment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Date the credit facility terminates, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityExpirationDate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The remaining balance of debt issuance expenses that were capitalized and are being amortized against income over the lives of the respective bond issues. This does not include the amounts capitalized as part of the cost of the utility plant or asset.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cxw_TermLoanDueInJulyTwentyTwentyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cxw_SeniorNotesFourPointSixTwentyFivePercentDueTwentyTwentyThreeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cxw_SeniorNotesFourPointOneTwentyFivePercentDueTwentyTwentyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cxw_SeniorNotesFivePointZeroPercentDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cxw_SeniorNotesFourPointSeventyFivePercentDueTwentyTwentySevenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cxw_NonRecourseMortgageNoteFourPointFivePercentDueTwentyThirtyThreeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cxw_NineHundredPointZeroMillionRevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Schedule of Debt Outstanding (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 12,115,000	$ 11,813,000
Term Loan Due in July 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt interest rate				3.40%	3.10%
Debt maturity date				Jul. 31, 2020
Interest payable dates				interest payable periodically at variable interest rates.
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 300,000	$ 300,000
Senior Notes 4.625% Due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			4.625%	4.625%
Debt maturity date			May 01, 2023	May 01, 2023
Interest payable dates				interest payable semi-annually in May and November at 4.625%.
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 3,100,000	3,300,000
Senior Notes 4.125% Due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			4.125%	4.125%
Debt maturity date			Apr. 01, 2020	Apr. 01, 2020
Interest payable dates				interest payable semi-annually in April and October at 4.125%.
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 1,700,000	1,900,000
Senior Notes 5.0% Due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate		5.00%		5.00%
Debt maturity date		Oct. 15, 2022		Oct. 15, 2022
Interest payable dates				interest payable semi-annually in April and October at 5.0%.
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 2,200,000	2,300,000
Senior Notes 4.75% Due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	4.75%			4.75%
Debt maturity date	Oct. 15, 2027			Oct. 15, 2027
Interest payable dates				interest payable semi-annually in April and October at 4.75%.
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 3,900,000	4,000,000
Non-Recourse Mortgage Note 4.5% Due 2033
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				4.50%
Debt maturity date				Jan. 31, 2033
Interest payable dates				principal and interest at 4.5% payable monthly until maturity.
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 300,000
Revolving Credit Facility \| $900.0 Million Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity				$ 900,000,000	$ 900,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility maturity date				Jul. 31, 2020
Weighted average rate				3.30%	3.10%
Interest payable dates				interest payable periodically at variable interest rates.