I think the outrage is moreso because he wasn't a spy or someone trying to attack DPRK or the North Koreans. He was imprisoned on relatively minor (speaking in context) charges and instead of simply being held prisoner seems to have suffered permanent disability.
Yes, and I'm trying to say that this would be nothing out of the ordinary for someone imprisoned for minor crimes in the US.
I mean in the US they regularly cook prisoners to death http://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2009/09/dog-days-tu...
The news coverage of the incident has seemed rather strange to me. Nobody would be shocked if he had exited an US prison in a coma, although I guess people don't get out for "humanitarian reasons" in the US. (Except once every 4/8 years, I guess)