Summary of Capital Expenditures Including Accrued Amounts (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	$ 40,794	$ 66,252
Safety
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	19,956	11,470
Community
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	1,463	7,147
CoreCivic Properties
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	15,903	40,994
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	$ 3,472	$ 6,641