There have been a number of people that have served decades in jail, but then they have only had their sentences brought to an end by the fact that they have died. However, what do you think is the longest time served in jail where the individual has actually been released at the end of it?
The answer is with an individual by the name of Paul Geidel. He was originally jailed when he was 17 years old for 2nd-degree murder, and he was eventually released from prison when he was 86 years old leading to a total of 68 years behind bars.
He had originally been sentenced to 20 years in jail, although his sentence was due to be made shorter because of good behavior. After being in jail for 15 years, they decided just before a parole hearing that he was legally insane. He was moved to a mental institution where he was held from 1926 to 1972. Once that part was ended, he was moved to a correctional facility that specialized in dealing with elderly prisoners where he stayed until 1980, by which time he was 86 years old.