You might think that being a probation officer is an unpleasant job. But for Nevada County’s department, it appears to be a rewarding one. Two deputy probation officers recently appeared on KNCO’s On the Town. And they described the department as a wonderful place to work with high morale and tremendous camraderie among the staff. That’s an environment that’s kept Amy Moon and Melissa Blais there for a combined 33 years. Blais enjoys helping people get their lives back on track…

click to listen to Melissa Blais

But the job can have its challenges, including mentally, according to Moon…

click to listen to Amy Moon

On the website, the Nevada County Probation Department is described as an integral part of the Justice System, improving public safety by serving the courts and providing evidence-based practices and interventions. That includes sentence recommendations. For people convicted of a crime, they’re instructed by the court to report in person to a probation officer within 24 hours of being sentenced, unless they’re returning to custody. And more have been doing that, since voter-approval of Assembly Bill 109 in 2011. It diverts defendants convicted of less serious felonies to serve their time in county jails rather than in state prison.