Zemo-Anyone else think it odd that he couldnt get himself

Yours is not an altogether unfair question. Zemo is exceedingly intelligent (and not just because he plays chess); it's unlikely that any prison could hold him for long.

Was Zemo bilpped? That may have played some part in the delay in his escaping prison.

I would guess that it was not to his advantage to escape prison until he had the means to pursue his anti-superhero agenda. It's also likely that he always knew that as a former Sokovian intelligence operative with deep knowledge of Hydra's operations, that he would be liberated and put to work sooner rather than later. His movements in the world would be less restricted if they were sanctioned as opposed to unsanctioned.