I'm suggesting that we abolish the social function of prisons.

Well for one, the 13th amendment to the constitution of the US which abolished slavery - did not abolish slavery for those convicted of a crime.

Had it not been for slavery, the death penalty would have likely been abolished in America. Slavery became a haven for the death penalty.

Jails and prisons are designed to break human beings, to convert the population into specimens in a zoo - obedient to our keepers, but dangerous to each other.

Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don't yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it's actually going to be possible.

Although he did not use the term 'abolish' and changed the term to 'cease function,' this is merely a word game. Basically he is tricking the Taiwan people and international opinion.