Real Estate Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands, shares in Millions						1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($) Facility Bed	Sep. 15, 2020 Bed	May 26, 2020 USD ($) Bed	Apr. 15, 2020 USD ($) Bed	Jan. 02, 2020 USD ($) Property shares	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($) Facility Bed	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($) Facility Bed	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) Facility Bed	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($) Facility Bed	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) Bed	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	$ 2,703,475					$ 2,703,475	$ 2,703,475				$ 2,703,475		$ 2,700,107
Operating Expense							347,927			$ 368,735	1,063,169	$ 1,060,246
Impairment charge							$ 805		$ 500		$ 13,058	4,706
Safety
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed	72,000					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				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				240
Number of facility | Facility											1
Net Carrying Value	$ 3,100		$ 500			$ 3,100	$ 3,100				$ 3,100
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				430
Number of facility | Facility											3
Net Carrying Value	$ 9,200					$ 9,200	$ 9,200				$ 9,200
Idle Facilities
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Operating Expense							2,100			$ 1,900	$ 6,100	$ 5,400
Idle Facilities | Community
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of facility | Facility	4										3
Net Carrying Value	$ 13,700					$ 13,700	$ 13,700				$ 13,700
Number of beds at the center | Bed	939			92		939	939				939
Gross sales price				$ 1,600
Cimarron Correctional Facility | Safety
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Bed		1,692
Net Carrying Value	$ 73,300					$ 73,300	$ 73,300				$ 73,300
Management agreement commencing date		Sep. 15, 2020
Initial term of management contract		3 years
Duration of unlimited extension option		24 months
Tulsa Transitional Center | Covid-19
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the center | Bed	390					390	390				390
Oklahoma City Transitional Center | Covid-19
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of closure bed | Bed								200
Turley Residential Center in Oklahoma
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of closure bed | Bed													289
South Texas Family Residential Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Management contract, expiration date						2026-09
Right-of-use asset	$ 116,000					$ 116,000	$ 116,000				$ 116,000
Maximum | South Texas Family Residential Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Number of beds at the facility | Facility	2,400					2,400	2,400				2,400
Minimum | South Texas Family Residential Center
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Agreement notice period for termination						60 days
Other Assets
Facility Activations Developments And Closures [Line Items]
Financing receivable	$ 149,700					$ 149,700	$ 149,700				$ 149,700
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											$ 51,500
Class A Common interest shares issued | shares					1.3
Percentage of voting control					100.00%
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	$ 81,600					$ 81,600	$ 81,600				$ 81,600