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Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 28, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2003
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting description		The RSUs awarded to officers and executive officers in 2019 consist of a combination of awards with performance-based conditions and time-based conditions. Unless earlier vested under the terms of the RSU agreements, the RSUs with time-based vesting conditions vest evenly generally on the first, second, and third anniversary of the award. The RSUs with performance-based vesting conditions are divided into one-third increments, each of which is subject to vesting based upon satisfaction of certain annual performance criteria established at the beginning of the fiscal years ending December 31, 2019, 2020, and 2021, and which can be increased by up to 150% or decreased to 0% based on performance relative to the annual performance criteria, and further increased or decreased using a modifier of 80% to 120% based on CoreCivic's total shareholder return relative to a peer group. Based on performance achieved for 2019, the RSUs subject to performance-based vesting criteria were increased by 145.8%, but were reduced to the 80% modifier based on CoreCivic's total shareholder return relative to the peer group. Because the performance criteria for the fiscal years ending December 31, 2020 and 2021 have not yet been established, the values of the second and third RSU increments for financial reporting purposes will not be determined until such criteria are established.
Increase in vesting percentage based on performance relative to annual performance criteria		150.00%
Decrease in vesting percentage based on performance relative to annual performance criteria		0.00%
Common stock, par value		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares issued		119,096,000	118,674,000
Preferred stock, shares authorized		50,000,000	50,000,000
Preferred stock, shares par value		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Total intrinsic value of options exercised		$ 500,000	$ 1,300,000	$ 2,900,000
2008 Stock Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized for issuance of awards					18,000,000.0
Number of shares available for issuance		5,000,000.0
Non-Employee Directors' Compensation Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized for issuance of awards						225,000
Number of shares available for issuance		200,000
ATM Agreement
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares issued		0	0
Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Increase decrease in vesting percentage based on shareholder return relative to peer group		80.00%
Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Increase decrease in vesting percentage based on shareholder return relative to peer group		120.00%
Maximum \| Common Stock \| ATM Agreement
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Common stock, aggregate gross sales price	$ 200,000,000.0
Other Employees
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period, continuous service requirement		3 years
Restricted stock based awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Fair value of restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic to certain of its employees and non-employee directors		$ 20,100,000	$ 20,500,000
Increase in vesting percentage based on performance relative to annual performance criteria		145.80%
Vesting percentage based on shareholder return relative to peer group.		80.00%
Allocated share-based compensation expense		$ 17,300,000	13,100,000	13,300,000
Unrecognized compensation cost		$ 16,500,000
Remaining period for recognizing the unrecognized compensation cost, in years		1 year 7 months 6 days
Total fair value of restricted common stock and common stock units that vested		$ 13,400,000	15,300,000	16,600,000
Restricted stock based awards \| General and Administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense		15,500,000	11,300,000	11,400,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Operating
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense		$ 1,800,000	$ 1,800,000	$ 1,900,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Employees And Non Employee Directors
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic		934,000	945,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Employees And Non Employee Directors \| General and Administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic		850,000	850,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Employee \| Operating
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Restricted common stock units issued by CoreCivic		84,000	95,000
Restricted stock based awards \| Officers And Executive Officers
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period		3 years
Percent of awards eligible to vest		33.33%
Restricted stock based awards \| Non Employee Directors
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period		1 year
Stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Term of options		10 years
Stock options \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period		3 years
Stock options \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Vesting period		4 years