Abstract: The author developed a parenting class for incarcerated mothers who could benefit from improved parenting skills post-release. The class provided interactive communication skills training for women prisoners in a work-release setting. The teaching modules utilized concepts and skill development exercises based on John Gottman's Meta Emotion Theory and Emotion Coaching research, and from the Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT). Dissertation Discovery Company and University of Florida are dedicated to making scholarly works more discoverable and accessible throughout the world. This dissertation, "Effect of a Relational Approach to Parent Education for Incarcerated Mothers in a Work Release Center" by Lesley LeBaron, was obtained from University of Florida and is being sold with permission from the author. A digital copy of this work may also be found in the university's institutional repository, IR@UF. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation.