Summary of Capital Expenditures Including Accrued Amounts (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	$ 159,489	$ 190,741	$ 487,136
Safety
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	42,577	77,662	94,559
Community
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	2,548	5,859	15,689
CoreCivic Properties
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	107,487	95,109	365,628
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	$ 6,877	$ 12,111	$ 11,260