A convict who walked away from a work release program one day before he was scheduled to be freed from prison is back behind bars.

Barthesday Deberry was arrested at 7:30 last night in Mattapan, roughly nine hours after he walked away from a work assignment, said state Department of Correction spokesman Darren Duarte.

Deberry was taken last night to MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole, Duarte said.

Deberry was convicted of armed robbery, breaking and entering, and possession of a firearm for offenses in Chicopee, authorities said. He was serving a five-year prison term and was housed in a pre-release center on Canterberry Street in Roslindale.

Deberry was set to be released today, but yesterday about 10:30 a.m. he walked away while out on a work assignment, prompting a manhunt by the Department of Correction’s fugitive apprehension unit.

Authorities sent out an alert, and warned people not to approach Deberry but instead call police.