Real Estate Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands, shares in Millions					3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) Facility Bed	May 26, 2020 USD ($) Bed	Apr. 15, 2020 USD ($) Bed	Jan. 02, 2020 USD ($) Property shares	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) Bed	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) Facility Bed	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 24, 2018 Bed
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of properties acquired | Property				28
Purchase price of real estate				$ 83,200
Cash payments to acquire properties				7,700
Debt assumed on acquisition of property				$ 52,200				$ 52,217
Conversion holding period of operating partnership units				2 years
Operating partnership units description								one-for-one basis
Purchase price, net tangible assets				$ 77,400
Purchase price, identifiable intangible assets				7,500
Purchase price, tenant improvements				$ 4,900
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	$ 2,725,179				$ 2,725,179			$ 2,725,179		$ 2,700,107
Operating Expense					352,927		$ 345,679	715,242	$ 691,511
Impairment charge					$ 11,717	$ 500	4,706	$ 12,253	4,706
Safety
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed	72,000				72,000			72,000
Community
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the center | Bed	5,000				5,000			5,000
Idled Correctional Facilities
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of facility | Facility								5
Idled Non-Core Facilities | Safety
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed	240	200			240			240
Number of facility | Facility								1
Net Carrying Value	$ 3,200	$ 500			$ 3,200			$ 3,200
Gross sales price		$ 3,300
Gain on sale of facility					$ 2,800
Idled Residential Reentry Facility | Oklahoma
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of facility | Facility								1
Impairment charge								$ 9,800
Idled Residential Reentry Facility | CoreCivic Properties
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed	430				430			430
Number of facility | Facility								3
Net Carrying Value	$ 9,200				$ 9,200			$ 9,200
Idle Facilities
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Operating Expense					2,000		$ 1,700	$ 4,000	$ 3,600
Idle Facilities | Community
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed			92
Number of facility | Facility	3							2
Net Carrying Value	$ 11,300				$ 11,300			$ 11,300
Number of beds at the center | Bed	549				549			549
Gross sales price			$ 1,600
Tulsa Transitional Center | Covid-19
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Net Carrying Value	$ 2,400				$ 2,400			$ 2,400
Number of beds at the center | Bed	390				390			390
Idle Cimarron Correctional Facility | Covid-19
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed	1,692				1,692			1,692
Net Carrying Value	$ 73,300				$ 73,300			$ 73,300
Other Assets
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Financing receivable	$ 150,300				$ 150,300			$ 150,300
Construction receivable										$ 137,700
Kansas Department Of Corrections
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Lease term											20 years
Number of beds at the facility | Bed											2,432
Construction of new facility commencement description								Construction of the facility commenced in the first quarter of 2018, and construction was completed in January 2020,
Newly Formed Partnership
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of properties acquired | Property				24
GRES
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Debt assumed on acquisition of property				$ 51,800
Class A Common interest shares issued | shares				1.3
Percentage of voting control				100.00%
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation				$ 81,500