Chained Birds: A Crimemoir

CHAINED BIRDS: A CRIMEMOIR – Author's Cut, 3rd Edition

?? The award-winning true crime memoir returns in an “Author’s Cut” 3rd edition, featuring 20+ new photos, sketches, prison artwork, and a sneak peek at Carla Conti’s next true crime project.

Award Highlights

• August 2025 – Finalist for Book Adaptation Needed, Page Turner Awards
• June 2025 – Finalist True Crime, National Indie Excellence Awards
• May 2025 – 1st Place True Crime, Next Generation Indie Book Awards
• May 2025 – Winner True Crime, Indie Reader Discovery Awards
• May 2025 – Silver Medal True Crime, Independent Press Book Awards
• April 2025 – 1st Place Nellie Bly Journalism, Chanticleer Intl’ Book Awards
• Feb 2025 – 1st Place Debut Author, Feathered Quill Book Awards

About the Book

After returning from three years in Europe, journalist Carla Conti aimed to settle into suburban Philadelphia. But her high school friend Scott Powell, a lawyer handling a brutal prison stabbing case, pulled her into the world of federal prison gangs, penal abuse, and corruption.

When Carla agreed to write a tell-all book about the violent machinations behind the case—using Scott’s client as an inside source—the stakes escalated. Prison gangs issued “hit orders” against the prisoner, putting Carla and Scott in mortal danger.

CHAINED BIRDS: A CRIMEMOIR chronicles Carla’s 10-year journey advocating for federal inmate Kevin Sanders and helping him reintegrate into society. The memoir exposes the horrors of a failed experimental prison program in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, blending investigative thriller elements with raw personal storytelling.

This gripping narrative is a testament to resilience, courage, and the pursuit of justice in the face of systemic corruption.