Well, "distancing" the player from the realities of prison life is an interesting decision worth commenting on. It's a valid game design choice, sure -- but it's something that definitely can be talked about in the context of "games as art/culture". I find it interesting, at least.

Also, I agree, I too get the vibe that Bogost wanted to talk primarily about the state of American prisons, but this didn't bother me because I wasn't expecting a game review with a final score and a "buy/do not buy" recommendation, and I found some of his points had merit.