Chained Birds: A Crimemoir Paperback – January 24, 2025

After two different prison gangs issued 'hit orders' against their client, journalist Carla Conti and a defense attorney were unexpectedly imperiled by association. What began as a simple favor for an old friend spiraled into a ten-year investigative journey through the darkest corners of the American justice system.When journalist Carla Conti agreed to investigate a brutal federal prison stabbing, she thought she was stepping into a routine case. Instead, she walked into a decade-long battle to uncover a world of prison gang dynamics, penal abuse, and systemic corruption that few outsiders ever see.Chained Birds is the raw, unflinching account of advocacy for an inmate caught in the gears of a failing system. It is a story of resilience, the high cost of truth, and a deep dive into the legal complexities of the U.S. federal prison structure.2025 Best Crimemoir: AudioBookReviewer2025 Winner True Crime: Next Generation Indie Book Awards2025 Winner True Crime: Indie Reader Discovery Awards2025 Silver True Crime: Independent Publisher Book Awards2025 Finalist True Crime: National Indie Excellence AwardsCOMING IN 2026:Carla's next true crime book, THE JACKLIGHTER: Murder, Betrayal, and Justice in Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains, will be released this fall. It's part cold-case investigation and part small-town Gothic—a chilling story of deadly obsession and a two-decade fight to expose the truth. Read more