UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 11-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

OR

For the transition period from _______ to _______

Commission file number 001-16109

CoreCivic 401(k) Plan

(Full title of the Plan)

CORECIVIC, INC.

(Name of the issuer of the securities held pursuant to the Plan)

5501 Virginia Way, Brentwood TN 37027

(Address and zip code of principal executive offices of the issuer)

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

AND SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE

DECEMBER 31, 2021

CONTENTS

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Administrative Committee, the Administrator and the Participants

CoreCivic 401(k) Plan

Nashville, Tennessee

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits of the CoreCivic 401(k) Plan (the Plan) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related statement of changes in net assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for benefits of the Plan as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the changes in net assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Plan’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Plan in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Plan is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Plan’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by the Plan’s management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

3

Supplemental Information

The supplemental information in the accompanying supplemental schedule of assets (held at end of year) as of December 31, 2021 has been subjected to audit procedures performed in conjunction with the audit of the Plan’s financial statements. The supplemental information is presented for the purpose of additional analysis and is not a required part of the financial statements but included supplemental information required by the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The supplemental information is the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Our audit procedures included determining whether the supplemental information reconciles to the financial statements or the underlying accounting and other records, as applicable, and performing procedures to test the completeness and accuracy of the information presented in the supplemental information. In forming our opinion on the supplemental information, we evaluated whether the supplemental information, including its form and content, is presented in conformity with the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. In our opinion, the supplemental information is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the financial statements as a whole.

/s/ Hancock Askew & Co., LLP

We have served as the Plan’s auditor since 2013.

Savannah, Georgia

June 27, 2022

4

CORECIVIC 401(K) PLAN

STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

5

CORECIVIC 401(K) PLAN

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021

See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

6

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

NOTE A—DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN

The following description of the CoreCivic 401(k) Plan (the “Plan” or “CoreCivic 401(k)”) is provided for general purposes only. Participants should refer to the plan agreement for a more complete description of the Plan’s provisions.

Plan Sponsor

The Plan is a defined contribution plan that is sponsored by CoreCivic of Tennessee, LLC (CoreCivic). The Plan is designed to comply with the rules and regulations of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”).

Participating Employers

The Plan qualifies as a “multiple employer” plan as described in Section 413(c) of the Code. The Plan allows other affiliated employers to participate in the Plan (“Participating Employers”), as it deems appropriate. All Participating Employers must adopt the Plan as written, including but not limited to, using the same Trustee, incurring the same expense rate, and contributing at the same rates and same times. Participating Employers are: TransCor America, LLC; Correctional Medicine Associates, PC; Correctional Medicine Associates of TX, PA; Correctional Medicine Associates of Colorado, PC; Correctional Medicine Associates of California, PC; CCA Health Services, LLC; Correctional Dental Associates, PC; Correctional Dental Associates of Florida, PA; Correctional Dental Associates of Colorado, PC; and, Stephen Merrill, DMD, PC.

Eligibility

Employees of CoreCivic and Participating Employers who are at least 18 years of age and have completed six months of service and 500 hours of service, as defined by the Plan, are eligible for participation in the Plan on the quarterly entry date (January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1) following the date they meet these eligibility requirements.

Contributions

The Plan allows eligible employees to contribute up to 90% of their pre-tax compensation, as defined by the Plan. The Plan also allows eligible participants to make Catch Up Contributions (as defined by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (“EGTRRA”)).

During 2021, CoreCivic provided a Safe Harbor matching contribution equal to 100% of each employee’s eligible bi-weekly compensation, up to 5% of the employee’s eligible bi-weekly compensation. The Plan indicates CoreCivic may provide discretionary employer contributions in addition to the Safe Harbor matching contributions. CoreCivic did not provide such discretionary contributions during 2021. CoreCivic did provide a non-elective fringe contribution to certain employees at “Service Contract Act” (“SCA”) locations in 2021. Those non-elective contributions are 100% vested immediately.

7

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

Company and participant contributions may not exceed the maximum amount deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Participant Accounts

Each participant’s account is credited with the participant’s contributions and allocations of (a) the Company’s contributions and (b) Plan earnings (losses), and charged with an allocation of administrative expenses, as defined.

Participants direct how their contributions and employer contributions made on their behalf are invested. At December 31, 2021, the Plan had balances in 21 investment funds, consisting of 18 mutual funds, a common collective trust fund, a U.S. Treasury Cash Reserve Fund, and CoreCivic common stock.

Vesting

Participants are fully vested in their employee contributions, safe harbor matching contributions and/or rollover contributions and the earnings (losses) thereon. Vesting in discretionary employer contributions is based on years of service. All active participants become vested in such discretionary employer contributions made and investment earnings (losses) thereon according to the following schedule of service:

In the event of death, disability, or upon attainment of the Plan’s retirement age, as defined in the Plan agreement, participants become fully vested in their employer contributions.

Payment of Benefits

Upon death, disability, retirement, or termination of employment, participants or their beneficiaries may elect to receive a lump-sum distribution, payable in the form of cash and/or shares of CoreCivic common stock of the vested portion of their account balance.

Participants who were participants in a plan assumed by CoreCivic in connection with the acquisition of U.S. Corrections Corporation in 1998 are offered the option of a hardship distribution. Cases of financial hardship are reviewed and approved by the Plan Administrator. A hardship distribution cannot be taken until the participant has exhausted other means of financing through the Plan or other plans maintained by CoreCivic. A hardship can only be taken from the amounts accumulated in the participant’s account through employee deferral contributions.

8

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

Forfeitures

Amounts not vested upon termination of employment are forfeited by participants and may be used to fund CoreCivic’s matching or discretionary contributions. At December 31, 2021, and 2020, unallocated non-vested accounts totaled approximately $128,000 and $97,000 respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2021, total forfeitures of $0, were used to reduce employer contributions made during the 2021 Plan year.

Notes Receivable from Participants

A participant may borrow the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of his or her vested account balance with a minimum loan amount of $1,000. A participant may have only one loan outstanding at any time. Loans are repayable through payroll deductions over periods ranging up to 60 months. The loans are secured by the balance in the participant’s account. The interest rate for the loan shall be determined by the Plan Administrator commensurate with the rates used by commercial loans which would be made under similar circumstances. The interest rates on outstanding loans as of December 31, 2021, ranged between 4.25% and 6.50%.

Plan Termination

Although it has not expressed any intention to do so, CoreCivic may terminate the Plan or trust agreement at any time. In the event of Plan termination, participants’ interests in employer contributions will become fully vested, and the accounts will be paid in lump-sum distributions as soon as practicable after the termination.

Voting Rights

Each participant is entitled to exercise voting rights attributable to the shares of CoreCivic common stock allocated to his or her account and is notified by the Trustee prior to the time such rights are to be exercised.

NOTE B—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Accounting

The financial statements of the Plan are presented on the accrual basis of accounting.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires Plan management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the accompanying financial statements and disclosures. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Investment Valuation and Income Recognition

Investments are carried at market value as determined on the last day of the Plan year. Fair value of financial instruments is what would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. See Note C for discussion of fair value measurements.

9

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

Purchases and sales of securities are recorded on a trade date basis. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Net appreciation (depreciation) includes the Plan’s gains and losses on investments bought and sold as well as held during the year.

Notes Receivable from Participants

Notes receivable from participants are measured at their principal balance plus any accrued but unpaid interest. No allowance for credit losses has been recorded as of December 31, 2021 or 2020. Delinquent participant loans are reclassified as distributions based upon the terms of the plan document.

Payment of Benefits

Benefits are recorded when paid.

Administrative Expenses

The process for the administration of expenses, under all agreements, is as follows: All sub-TA and 12b-1 fees are deposited into the Administrative Fee Credit Account (AFCA) and then the recordkeeper and the broker are paid quarterly based on the signed fee agreements. Other plan eligible expenses are also paid from the AFCA. If the Plan does not have adequate funds in the AFCA, all participants’ accounts would be charged a quarterly administrative fee to cover those administrative costs. All administrative costs not covered by this charge are borne by CoreCivic and, therefore, are not included in the accompanying statement of changes in net assets available for benefits.

The agreement between the Trustee and the Plan includes a revenue-sharing arrangement, whereby the Trustee shares revenue generated by the Plan in excess of the Trustee’s fee. These deposits are included as part of the net appreciation in fair value of investments on the Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits. These funds are used to pay other Plan expenses, with the option of any remaining amounts being reallocated to participants. During 2021, revenue of $1,010,255 was deposited into the Plan related to this revenue-sharing arrangement. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, $1,582,296 and $1,295,970 respectively, was available to be reallocated or pay Plan expenses. For the Plan year ended December 31, 2021, Plan expenses of approximately $740,745 were paid by these funds.

Risks and Uncertainties

Investments, in general, are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, credit, and overall market volatility risk. Due to the level of risk associated with investment securities, it is reasonably possible that changes in the values of investments will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect participants’ account balances and the amounts reported in the statements of net assets available for benefits and the statement of changes in net assets available for benefits.

10

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

The spread of a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) since 2020 caused significant volatility in U. S. markets. Although the number of individuals vaccinated for COVID-19 continues to increase and the spread of the virus has significantly declined, a level of uncertainty still remains around the breadth and duration of business disruptions related to COVID-19, as well as its impact on economic activity globally, nationally and locally.

NOTE C—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Plan values assets in accordance with the fair value standard. The standard clarifies the definition of fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands the disclosures for fair value measurement. The framework provides a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the Plan has the ability to access.

Level 2 – Inputs to the valuation methodology include:

If the asset or liability has a specified (contractual) term, the Level 2 input must be observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The asset’s or liability’s fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Valuation techniques used need to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.

The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets measured at fair value. There have been no changes in the methodologies used at December 31, 2021 and 2020.

11

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Plan’s management believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.

The following table sets forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the Plan’s assets at fair value as of December 31, 2021:

12

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

The following table sets forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the Plan’s assets at fair value as of December 31, 2020:

The following table summarizes investments measured at fair value based on net asset value (“NAV”) per share as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

NOTE D—SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Plan has evaluated, for consideration of recognition or disclosure, subsequent events that have occurred through the date of issuance, June 27, 2022, and has determined that no significant events, except as noted below if applicable, occurred after December 31, 2021, but prior to the issuance of these financial statements that would have a material impact on its financial statements.

13

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

Effective January 7, 2022, the plan transitioned to lowest cost fund classes and no longer has any revenue sharing funds in the plan. As a result, on March 15, 2022, the Plan reallocated $1,499,736 of revenue sharing funds to the accounts of eligible participants.

NOTE E- FEDERAL INCOME TAX STATUS

Effective January 1, 2020, the Plan adopted a prototype plan sponsored by SunTrust Bank, for which an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determination letter was issued dated March 31, 2014. Prior to January 1, 2020, the Plan operated in accordance with a custom plan document for which an IRS determination letter was issued dated April 27, 2017. The Plan currently is designed and is being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Code and the Plan continues to qualify under Code Section 401(a), and the related trust continues to be tax-exempt as of December 31, 2021.

U.S. GAAP requires Plan management to evaluate tax positions taken by the Plan and recognize a tax liability (or asset) if the Plan has taken an uncertain position that more likely than not would not be sustained upon examination by the IRS. The Plan Administrator has analyzed the tax positions taken by the Plan, and has concluded that as of December 31, 2021, there are no uncertain positions taken or expected to be taken that would require recognition of a liability (or asset) or disclosure in the financial statements. The Plan is subject to routine audits by taxing jurisdictions; however, there are currently no audits for any tax periods in progress.

NOTE F—RELATED PARTY AND PARTY-IN-INTEREST TRANSACTIONS

For the 2020 plan year, SunTrust Bank was the Trustee and custodian of the Plan for all Plan assets including those invested in the CoreCivic common stock fund. For the 2021 plan year, Great West Trust Company was the trustee and custodian of the plan for all Plan assets including those invested in the CoreCivic common stock fund. Therefore, transactions with these parties qualify as party-in-interest transactions. The Plan also held notes receivable from participants which also qualify as party-in-interest transactions.

NOTE G—LIMITATION ON CORECIVIC STOCK ELECTIONS AND TRANSFERS INTO CORECIVIC STOCK

The Plan Administrative Committee, with the approval of the CoreCivic Board of Directors, limits the percentage of new contributions that plan participants are permitted to invest in CoreCivic stock to ten percent (10%). Transfers into CoreCivic stock from the Plan’s other funds are also subject to the same limitation. Therefore, requests to transfer funds into CoreCivic stock are not permitted if, at the time of the transfer, the transfer would cause the participant’s CoreCivic stock balance to exceed 10% of the participant’s total plan balance.

14

SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE

CORECIVIC 401(k) PLAN

SCHEDULE OF ASSETS (HELD AT END OF YEAR)

EIN 62-1806755, Plan 001

SCHEDULE H, LINE 4i

DECEMBER 31, 2021

16

SIGNATURES

The Plan. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Plan Administrator has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

INDEX OF EXHIBITS

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement No. 333-69358 on Form S-8 of our report dated June 27, 2022, appearing in this Annual Report on Form 11-K of the CoreCivic 401(k) Plan for the year ended December 31, 2021.

/s/ Hancock Askew & Co., LLP

Savannah, Georgia

June 27, 2022