Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir

This was a really good read, and I inhaled it in several hours. I liked the whole story, Scott trying to assist Kevin in prison, then bringing Carla in to help out. And Jack joined them too, and the author shares how it affected all of them over the years. They all get drawn into Kevin’s world, and it is quite a crazy one. Recommended for those interested in prison culture and a wild true crime book.

I appreciated Carla Conti sharing their story with the reader, it had that realistic element that I was hoping for. I thought it was a great true crime element and thought it was realistic and showed a portrayal that I was looking for. It was written well and thought it was a strong story. It really showed a lot of the dark elements and what was going on behind closed doors.

Chained Birds by Carla Conti, is a remarkable true crime book and is a gripping read that reads like a thriller but is a true crime Memoir. Conti, who is a journalist, does a Favour for her former friends Scott Powel a defense lawyer who is handling a case about a brutal prison stabbing of a federal inmate and the two men who are charged with the assault.

Conti becomes part of the trials defense team and finds she is now navigating the terrifying world of gangster, corruption, gang issued hits and abuse. Carla agrees to write a tell all book on these gangs and the court case. Conti fearlessly confronts civil rights lawsuits concerning prison conditions and inmates' treatment and it becomes a ten-year journey to Advocate for the federal inmate Kevin Sanders but at a cost for both Conti and Powel.

This is an immensely powerful book on gangs and the American prison system, and Conti recounts her life before during and after the case which changes people’s lifestyle forever. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A deftly written expose of the American prison system riddled with corruption, drug abuse and gang violence. Midway through the story the author becomes part of the narrative as she attempts to help the inmate put into an impossible situation by prison guards and threats of retribution. Living through the turbulence of the Trump presidency and Covid, yet still maintaining contact with a troubled inmate and documenting the fallout of prison life, Carla's gift for narrative non-fiction will reel you in.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is a well-written true crime story that reads like a novel. It reveals the corruption of the American prison system, which, like most prisons, doesn't lead to rehabilitation but makes the prisoner worse and more street-safe than before their incarceration. We see this with Kevin, Carla, and Jack and what effect the prison system had on them in later years.

It's a little too political, yet it's a true story told well and a recommended read.

This is a true crime book with a difference as we see the wider impact of the fight for a review of a case. The effects of the process of reviewing the case are alarming and impact everyone involved in ways I am sure they did not expect. There is so much information in this book - the case itself, the legal process and the terrifying reality of the penal system. Really, really interesting and the personal perspective makes it absolutely compelling.