US EditionGianforte Taps Deputy Director to Lead Montana Department of Corrections
Eric Strauss, deputy director since 2024, will lead Montana DOC amid major facility expansions and oversee a $313 million budget, continuing Brian Gootkin's leadership legacy.
- On Dec. 22, Gov. Greg Gianforte named Eric Strauss Director of the Montana Department of Corrections after Brian Gootkin's appointment as U.S. Marshal by President Donald Trump, with Strauss assuming the post Jan. 6.
- A longtime state official, Strauss has served as the Montana Department of Labor & Industry's administrator for nine years and currently lives in Clancy with his family.
- He will oversee an annual budget of roughly $313 million; the Montana Department of Corrections manages roughly 3,400 incarcerated individuals and about 10,500 individuals under state supervision.
- With capacity strained, the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge undergoes a $211 million reconstruction, a Deer Lodge expansion project is underway, and a $21 million water infrastructure replacement project follows a fall crisis; the 2025 Legislature funded more capacity increases in coming years.
- Gov. Greg Gianforte praised Strauss as a strong leader committed to historic investments, and Strauss pledged to build on the department's foundation with staff and community partners.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Daily Montanan
Governor promotes Department of Corrections deputy to lead DOC
Montana Department of CorrectionsEric Strauss, deputy director of the Montana Department of Corrections, will take the top leadership post there starting Jan. 6, the Governor’s Office announced. The current director, Brian Gootkin, was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as a United States Marshal for the District of Montana. Eric Strauss, new head of the Montana Department of Corrections. (Provided by the Governor’s Office) In a news r…
Gianforte appoints Montana Department of Corrections deputy director to lead the agency
Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday appointed Eric Strauss, who currently serves as the state Department of Corrections’ deputy director, to lead the agency. The announcement comes two months after President Donald Trump appointed the agency’s current director, Brian Gootkin, to become the U.S. Marshal for the District of Montana. Strauss will assume his new role Jan. 6. The department manages the state’s roughly 3,400 incarcerated individuals across …
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