Public Safety

Life In Prison: Terry Campbell, 44 Years And Counting

By Joanne Faryon / Investigative Reporter

Published December 18, 2009 at 9:16 AM PST

This story was published more than 14 years ago.

Inmate Profile: Terry Campbell, 44 Years And Counting

Terry Campbell is serving a life sentence for first degree murder at R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility. Campbell gave KPBS few details about the nature of his crime other then he shot and killed a person during an armed robbery of a gas station. Campbell has been in prison for 44 years. He is among a growing number of aging inmates.

Inmate Profiles

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates aging inmates cost the prison system two to three times more than young inmates because they have age-related health problems.

Campbell fell more than 30 feet while working in a prison construction crew several years ago. He has had seven surgeries as a result and is also receiving treatment in prison for his asthma.

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Over the next several weeks, KPBS will interview elderly inmates serving time in three state prisons. We will bring you their stories in a Project Envision documentary, "Life in Prison," airing Jan. 25 at 9 p. m. on KPBS Television.

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Joanne Faryon

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As an investigative reporter, Joanne Faryon worked with the team of journalists at inewsource, a nonprofit journalism enterprise embedded in the KPBS newsroom. Faryon has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist, working in a print, radio and TV. She previously worked in Canada and the U.S., specializing in investigative reporting. During her time at KPBS, Faryon served as reporter, host, and producer for both TV and radio. Among her many stories and investigations is the 2010 look into the effectiveness of the Whooping Cough vaccine. The series of in-depth features lead the Centers for Disease Control re-examine their reporting and change their guidelines. Faryon’s work has been honored by the USC's Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism with the Walter Cronkite Award for political journalism. The prestigious honor was for the Envision special, “Who’s Supervising San Diego?” – an in-depth look at the County’s Board of Supervisors. Faryon has also received an honorable mention from the National Press Foundation in 2010 for an in-depth look at the state's prison system as part of the Envision series. In addition, Faryon has earned two regional Emmys and several awards from the San Diego Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists. Her Canadian honors include a Manitoba Human Rights award for meritorious service for her investigative work on the Ku Klux Klan and right-wing extremism in Canada. Joanne has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Winnipeg and a creative communications diploma from Red River College.

See stories by Joanne Faryon