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Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
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0 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | ||||||
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Jan. 06, 2012
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Mar. 31, 2012
Bank Of America Securities LLC And Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Amended Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
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Jan. 06, 2012
Senior Notes 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]
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Dec. 31, 2011
Senior Notes 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Senior Notes 6.25% Due 2013 [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Senior Notes 6.75% Due 2014 [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Senior Notes 7.75% Due 2017 [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Swing Line Loans [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Minimum [Member]
Amended Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2012
Maximum [Member]
Amended Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||||||||||
| Revolving Credit Facility initiation date | December 2007 | |||||||||||
| Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity | $ 450,000,000 | $ 785,000,000 | $ 30,000,000 | |||||||||
| Revolving Credit Facility maturity date | December 2016 | |||||||||||
| Line of credit interest on outstanding borrowings | At CCA's option, interest on outstanding borrowings of the Amended Revolving Credit Facility is based on either a base rate plus a margin ranging from 0.25% to 1.0% or a London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") plus a margin ranging from 1.25% to 2.0% based on CCA's leverage ratio. | |||||||||||
| Purchase of Senior Notes | 335,000,000 | |||||||||||
| Debt issuance costs, capitalized | 6,000,000 | |||||||||||
| Charge against write-off of loan costs | 100,000 | 200,000 | ||||||||||
| Base rate plus a margin | 0.50% | 0.25% | 1.00% | |||||||||
| LIBOR plus a margin | 1.50% | 1.25% | 2.00% | |||||||||
| Percentage of commitment fee to unfunded balance | 0.30% | |||||||||||
| Available under the Revolving Credit Facility | 221,700,000 | |||||||||||
| Sublimit for issuance of standby letters of credit | 100,000,000 | |||||||||||
| Percentage of capital stock of foreign subsidiary secured by pledge under Revolving Credit Facilities | 65.00% | |||||||||||
| Aggregate principal amount | 375,000,000 | 150,000,000 | 465,000,000 | |||||||||
| Maximum cash tender offer | 150,000,000 | |||||||||||
| Early tender deadline date | January 5, 2012 | |||||||||||
| Total consideration offered upon tendering of senior notes | 1,002.50 | |||||||||||
| Principal amount of Senior Notes for which consideration is offered | 1,000 | |||||||||||
| Cash tender paid | 57,500,000 | |||||||||||
| Principal amount of Senior Notes outstanding after redemption | 40,000,000 | 40,000,000 | ||||||||||
| Redemption of Senior Notes | 277,500,000 | |||||||||||
| Amount charged against purchase and redemption of debt | 1,400,000 | |||||||||||
| Interest rate stated percentage of Senior Notes | 6.25% | 6.75% | 7.75% | |||||||||
| Unsecured senior notes issued date | March 2005 | January 2006 | June 2009 | |||||||||
| Note maturity date | Mar. 15, 2013 | Jan. 31, 2014 | Jun. 01, 2017 | |||||||||
| Issued price of Senior Notes | 97.116% | |||||||||||
| Yield to maturity | 8.25% | |||||||||||
| Percentage of notes redeemable by net proceeds from equity offering | 35.00% | |||||||||||
| Redemption price percentage of aggregate principal amount outstanding of remaining notes | 100.00% | 65.00% | ||||||||||
| Redemption date | April 16, 2012 | |||||||||||
| Line of credit facility outstanding amount | 535,000,000 | |||||||||||
| Letters of credit outstanding amount | $ 28,300,000 | |||||||||||