When newly-appointed Pardons Secretary Brandon Flood attends his first Pardons Board hearing, he'll be able to empathize with the offender seated on the other side of the table. When Mr. Flood was 17, he was convicted of possession of cocaine with 
intent to distribute the drug. At age 22, he was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm. Nine years in prison convinced him that the pen is mightier than the sword, and he went to work with Harrisburg lawmakers. Now he wants to improve the system that gave him a second chance.