CoreCivic, Inc.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

Check the appropriate box:

☐ Preliminary Proxy Statement

☐ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

☒Definitive Proxy Statement

☐ Definitive Additional Materials

☐ Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12f

CoreCivic, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):

March 31, 2026

To our Stockholders:

We invite you to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of CoreCivic, Inc. (the “Company”) to be held at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, on Thursday, May 14, 2026. This year’s Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting of stockholders to be held over the internet via webcast atwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CXW2026. We believe that the use of the internet to host the virtual Annual Meeting enables full and equal participation by all our stockholders from nearly any location in the world at little to no additional cost to any such stockholder.

An audio broadcast of the virtual Annual Meeting will also be available to stockholders by telephone at 1-877-328-2502 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-5419 (international). Please note that listening to the telephonic audio broadcast will not be deemed attending the virtual Annual Meeting, and you cannot vote or participate in the virtual Annual Meeting from such telephonic audio broadcast. You will be able to attend the virtual Annual Meeting and to vote and submit questions during the virtual Annual Meeting via a live webcast by visitingwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CXW2026 and entering the 16-digit control number included on your notice of internet availability of your proxy materials, your proxy card, or voter instruction form. The live webcast format of our virtual Annual Meeting is designed to provide our stockholders with the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting. In addition to being able to vote during the virtual Annual Meeting, the platform for the virtual Annual Meeting will permit stockholders to submit appropriate questions during the virtual Annual Meeting through the website for the virtual Annual Meeting. We will answer as many questions submitted in accordance with the rules of conduct for the virtual Annual Meeting as possible in the time allotted for the virtual Annual Meeting. If we receive substantially similar questions, we may group them together and provide a single response to prevent repetition. The question-and-answer session will follow the formal matters to be addressed at the virtual Annual Meeting.

As in the past, prior to the virtual Annual Meeting, you will be able to authorize a proxy to vote your shares on the matters submitted for stockholder approval at the virtual Annual Meeting by registering with and submitting certain information towww.proxyvote.com. We encourage you to do so. The Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement, both of which accompany this letter, provide details regarding the business to be conducted at the virtual Annual Meeting, as well as other important information about the Company.

Along with the other members of the Board of Directors and management, we encourage you to attend our virtual Annual Meeting via webcast.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026

Time and Date

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of CoreCivic, Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

Location

This year’s Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting of stockholders to be held over the internet via webcast atwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CXW2026.

Record Date

March 18, 2026, has been designated the Record Date by our Board of Directors.

Items to Be Voted on at the Virtual Annual Meeting

At the virtual Annual Meeting, stockholders will consider and act on the following items of business:

We are pleased to take advantage of Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules that allow issuers to furnish proxy materials to their stockholders over the internet. We believe these rules allow us to provide our stockholders with the information they need in a timely and convenient manner, while lowering the costs of delivery and reducing the environmental impact of the virtual Annual Meeting. Our Proxy Statement and Annual Report to Stockholders (including our Letter to Stockholders and 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K) are available on our website at www.corecivic.com. Links to websites included in this Proxy Statement are provided as inactive textual references and solely for convenience. Content on websites, including our website, is not a part of this Proxy Statement or incorporated herein or into any of our other filings with the SEC.

Additionally, and in accordance with SEC rules, you may access our proxy materials athttp://materials.proxyvote.com/21871N. You may request copies of the proxy materials, including our Proxy Statement, without charge by sending a written request to CoreCivic, Attention: Joseph Bachmann, Managing Director of Investor Relations, 5501 Virginia Way, Suite 110, Brentwood, TN 37027, or by calling Joseph Bachmann at (615) 263-3000.

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Your vote is important.

You may vote by internet or toll-free telephone. If you receive a copy of our Proxy Statement and proxy card by mail, you may vote by completing, signing, and returning the proxy card in the accompanying postage paid envelope. Please refer to the proxy card and the accompanying Proxy Statement for additional information regarding your voting options. Even if you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting via webcast, please take advantage of one of the advance voting options to ensure your shares are represented at the virtual Annual Meeting. You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted by following the procedures described in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

An audio broadcast of the virtual Annual Meeting will also be available to stockholders by telephone at 1-877-328-2502 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-5419 (international). Please note that listening to the telephonic audio broadcast will not be deemed attending the virtual Annual Meeting, and you cannot vote or participate in the virtual Annual Meeting from such telephonic audio broadcast. You will be able to attend the virtual Annual Meeting and to vote and submit questions during the virtual Annual Meeting via a live webcast by visitingwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CXW2026 and entering the 16-digit control number included on your notice of internet availability of your proxy materials, your proxy card, or voter instruction form. The live webcast format of our virtual Annual Meeting is designed to provide our stockholders with the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting. In addition to being able to vote during the virtual Annual Meeting, the platform for the virtual Annual Meeting will permit stockholders to submit appropriate questions during the virtual Annual Meeting through the website for the virtual Annual Meeting. We will answer as many questions submitted in accordance with the rules of conduct for the virtual Annual Meeting as possible in the time allotted for the virtual Annual Meeting. If we receive substantially similar questions, we may group them together and provide a single response to prevent repetition. The question-and-answer session will follow the formal matters to be addressed at the virtual Annual Meeting.

Stockholders of record at the close of business on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, are entitled to vote at the virtual Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

/s/ Cole G. Carter

Cole G. Carter

Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer,

General Counsel and Secretary

March 31, 2026

Brentwood, TN

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