Gary Anthony Burgess, 50, left open prison HMP Sudbury in the early hours of Thursday.
He was jailed for 10 years for burglary offences at Teesside Crown Court in 2011.
Burgess, who has links to the Middlesbrough area, is described as white, 5ft 8in (1.73m) tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and heavily tattooed.
Derbyshire Police are warning people not to approach Burgess but to report any sightings immediately to their local force.
A police hunt is under way for a Teesside burglar who absconded from a jail in Derbyshire.