Jimmy Wu

Executive Director, InsideOUT Writers

Jimmy Wu is the Executive Director at InsideOUT Writers (IOW), a nonprofit organization that teaches creative writing classes inside the Los Angeles County juvenile halls and in nine adult state prisons. When just 16 years old, Jimmy made a horrible decision to commit a crime which resulted in 13 years of incarceration; it was during his time in a juvenile detention facility that he was introduced as a student to IOW. His firsthand experiences led to his becoming a passionate advocate for juvenile justice reform, to providing direct services to men and women returning to their communities, and to overseeing all aspects of IOW. In 2018, Jimmy was awarded a County of Los Angeles Commendation from LA Board Supervisor Hilda Solis, and in 2019 was appointed a Commissioner to the Alternatives to Incarceration Work Group designed to help LA scale alternatives to incarceration and diversion, making jail a last resort. Jimmy also teaches at UCLA in the Visual and Performing Arts Education Department.