He was in solitary confinement that long as a result of his repeated escapes. Not for the initial charge. Whether you agree with the way it turned out or not, the way you phrased it is completely incorrect and misleading and just rage baiting.
That is not particularly American. There are dozens of other examples in other countries too.
In America, at least there is a wikipedia article about the injustice, while in other countries is extremely difficult to get such injustices known.
Solitary confinement is torture. 27 years of torture for this man who, as far as I can tell, engaged in a victimless procedural crime.
Deeply fucked up and unsurprising story if you're familiar with incarceration in the US.