A Hennepin County probation officer is this year's recipient of the Sheila Wellstone Gold WATCH award for his efforts to combat domestic violence.

Jahmal Mattson, with the county's Department of Community Corrections, Adult Field Services Division, was presented the award during a ceremony last week.

The award is given to people and organizations demonstrating leadership in ending domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. The award is named for Sheila Wellstone, wife of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone. The couple and others died in a 2002 plane crash.

Mattson began his career with the Community Corrections department in 1996 and has been a probation officer since 1998. He was selected in 2008 as the first felony agent to supervise a domestic violence caseload.

WATCH, founded in 1992, is a court watchdog group that monitors cases involving violence against women and children.

ABBY SIMONS