Organization and Operations - Additional Information (Detail) ft² in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020 ft² Property Segment Facility Bed
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Line Items]
Number of Operating segments | Segment	3
Number of properties for lease to third parties and used by government agencies | Property	15
Minimum distribution percentage of taxable income to qualify for real estate investment trust	90.00%
CoreCivic Safety
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Line Items]
Number of facilities operated by the company	47
Number of facilities owned by the company	42
Number of beds at the facility | Bed	70,000
CoreCivic Community
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Line Items]
Number of centers owned and operated by company	27
Number of beds at the center | Bed	5,000
CoreCivic Properties
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Line Items]
Number of properties for lease to third parties and used by government agencies | Property	15
Number of square feet | ft²	2.7